
Wu Mengchao
Wu Mengchao, a world-famous Chinese hepatic surgeon, retired at the age of 97 on January 14.
He was the head of the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital attached to the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai.
Born in southeast China's Fujian Province in 1922, Wu went to Malaysia with his mother to join his father at the age of 5 and came back to China in 1940. After graduating from the School of Medicine of Shanghai-based Tongji University in 1949, he joined the first hospital affiliated with the Second Military Medical University named Changhai Hospital in Shanghai.
During his 70 years as a hepatic surgeon, Wu made more than 30 major medical innovations and contributed to the establishment and development of China's hepatobiliary surgery, helping it reach an advanced level worldwide. In spite of his senior age, Wu still persisted in doing surgeries until his retirement.
Wu was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991 and received the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, China's top scientific honor, in 2005.