Lippert's surgeon to treat quake victims in Nepal
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Lew Dae-hyun
Lew Dae-hyun, a surgeon who gained attention for successfully treating U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark W. Lippert, will visit quake-hit areas in Nepal to treat disaster victims.
Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital said Friday Lew was in a medical team that will leave for Nepal, Monday. It is a joint project with Globalcare, a humanitarian group.
The five-member team ― two doctors, two nurses and an assistant ― is expected to stay for five days at quake-hit sites.
The hospital will supply the medical equipment and Daewoong Pharm., a major pharmaceutical company, will send one ton of supplies.
Lew said the relief operation would be undertaken cautiously.
“It is still a dangerous situation because of ongoing aftershocks,” Lew said. “We should find out what they really need first. Rushing to the site without proper preparation won’t be helpful.”
Lew became widely known after he successfully performed surgery on Lippert, whose face and hand were slashed by a radical activist on March 5.
Lew, who studied under Tark Kwan-chul, a retired medical professor in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Yonsei University, is a leading plastic surgeon.
Like Lew, Tark performed similar surgery when President Park Geun-hye, then chairwoman of the Grand National Party, had her face slashed by a radical leftist in 2006.
Kim Ha-na, the relief operations coordinator at Globalcare, told The Korea Times that what Nepal needed most was food and tents.
“We (Globalcare) have been working with Lew since 1997,” said Kim. “It is good that we can work with him and his team to help Nepalese people in need.”