Liu Minxia
mllmx@msn.com
A U.S. doctor suffered a stroke while overseeing a test for 20 Chinese doctors last Wednesday. Dr. Royce K. Keilers, 77, was rushed to Bao’an District People’s Hospital, where he underwent successful emergency surgery.
Keilers, a founder of International Primary Care Educational Alliance (IPCEA), was visiting Shenzhen for the fifth time in three years for a program that has trained 100 general practitioners for Shenzhen.
The program trains Chinese doctors in a bid by the local government to revamp the health care system.
IPCEA is a nonprofit organization that promotes global recognition of primary care medicine as the foundation of good health for all patients.
Keilers was overseeing the first batch of 20 trainees last Wednesday.
“I saw the left part of his body become less nimble,” said Zhang Yongjian, a doctor at Shenzhen’s Haiwan community clinic in Shekou. “He was suffering from a mild hemorrhage of the digestive tract after arriving at Shenzhen on Dec. 6. and he had to stay in bed to rest during the test the previous day.”
“He was sent to us in time and it took us 15 minutes to determine which part of the blood vessel was blocked,” said Ye Huawei, the chief surgeon. “But it took 15 hours to complete the surgery as it became blocked again soon after we opened the blockage.”
Ye said he had enlarged the blood vessel with a stent. Keilers regained consciousness three days after the surgery.
Keilers’ wife, Elva Keilers, and daughter, Dawn Keilers Mirran, flew to Shenzhen and will take him back to their home in Texas tomorrow.
“He thinks his interest in family medicine can help some people in China and he is very determined to continue with the program although we always worry about his health,” said Mirran.
In addition to the Shenzhen program, Dr. Keilers and other co-founders of IPCEA, William Burke and Ronnie Martin, are involved in similar programs in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Keilers has made more than a dozen visits to Chengdu for the program in the past three years.
While helping Sichuan earthquake survivors in 2008, Keilers noticed that Chinese doctors needed training, according to his daughter.
“He very much wanted to be here to see the graduation and he said he wanted to hand the diploma in person to the students,” said Li Shuran, another trainee. “He knew it would probably be the last time he would be here, considering his age.”
Li said Keilers was not paid for his work in Shenzhen and at the beginning he used his own money to buy air tickets. “Later we covered the air tickets for him, but only economy class. He spent his own money to upgrade it to business class for a larger space,” said Li.
“After his visit to Shenzhen last year, the long flight back home led to blood clot in his legs. He never told us. He recovered and came again,” Li said.
Keilers’ students cried during the graduation ceremony, said Liang Chengzhu, another trainee. “We’re greatly touched. The program brought us not only hands-on knowledge but reshaped what we believe a family doctor should be,” said Liang, who works at the Anle community clinic in Bao’an.
“Dr. Keilers and each of the 50-odd lecturers he brought displayed responsibility, professionalism and enthusiasm towards family medicine.”
Zhang, with the Haiwan clinic, said she and her patients benefited from the program. “A longtime patient of mine is a 14-year-old boy who suffers from autism. I treated the boy for years without progress and finally brought him to Dr. Keilers’ class,” she said. “Dr. Keilers asked the boy a few questions before he turned to the boy’s parents. We found out his parents were suffering from severe depression and should be treated first.”
Dr. Keilers told them that patients with a stable doctor save 33 percent on medical expenses with a death rate reduced by 19 percent, Zhang said.
“The [IPCEA] slogan is ‘bridging cultures to enrich global health,’” Keilers’ wife said. “Dr. Burke, Dr. Martin and others who are working with him will definitely continue the program even if Dr. Keilers can’t come any more.”
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