Dr. Samuel Noordhoff
Dr Samuel Noordhoff, an American Plastic Surgeon, went to Taiwan as missionary surgeon
and he was instrumental in establishing a tertiary care medical institute in Taipei.
He the most appropriately given Chinese name Luo Huei-Fu, which means ‘Man of Wisdom’.
After his administrative job in a hospital, he established the world-renowned plastic
surgery department and dedicated himself as Cleft and Craniofacial Surgeon. He ensured
that the younger generation of Taiwan doctors rises to provide quality of care at
par with the world. He received many civilian and governmental honours for his services.
He did not limit himself to one country. His attention was always to all the areas
where cleft care is needed to be established to help these children. He established
the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation donating his personal money. He was also founding
member of Medical Board for the Smile Train, a largest charity organisation helping
cleft children across the world. He helped the Smile Train to establish guidelines
for providing cleft care and help them to recognise cleft centres across the world
to establish cleft care supported by the Smile Train. Sri Ramachandra Institute of
Higher Education and Research, Chennai, was one of them.
His love for India was special. He encouraged and ensured to bring out young generation
of dedicated cleft and craniofacial surgeons and multidisciplinary cleft centres in
India. He supported many different specialists such as surgeon, speech therapist and
orthodontist training in Taiwan with Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation.
He visited India a few times and greatly inspired the young plastic surgeon to take
up this speciality. He will patiently and wisely guide the young surgeon to surpass
obstacles to provide multidisciplinary services for patients with weak economic background.
As a missionary, his zeal was healing patients physically and in spirit and provided
them joy of life.
For me (JM), meeting Dr Noordhoff was like going to pilgrimage.
I (NM) happened to do an fellowship at Cleft and Craniofacial Center, Chang Gung Memorial
Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. I got closely associated with Dr Samuel Noordhoff. He was
very meticulous and had great respect for tissue. During my time, we were five international
fellows working in that department and had a get together at his residence over the
dinner. During that time in 1996, he created an excellent book and video on primary
cleft lip repair with his technique of use of turbinate flap and lateral mucosal flap
for nostril floor, triangular flap for the vermillion and use of alar transfixation
sutures.
Dr SR Tambawekar was in the process of forming an Indian Society of Cleft Lip Palate
and Cranofacial Anomalies (ISCLP and CA). To get all multi-speciality cleft teams
involved, we conducted First National Update on Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery (NUCC)
in 1997 at Bombay Hospital. Dr Noordhoff and Dr Philip Chen were the faculty and they
demonstrated cleft surgeries and delivered lectures. I was organising secretary of
the NUCC, and he kindly gifted me the book and a video cassette. At that time, our
society ISCLP and CA was founded and he witnessed the event. He was instrumental in
supporting Indian Fellowes through his Noordhoff foundation.
He was a Millard Orator during the ISCLP and CA conference in Chennai conducted by
Dr Jyostna Murthy [[Figure 1]] under the president ship of Dr Hirji Adenwalla. He was instrumental in training
Dr Yu, Ray Chen and Phillip Chen, who continued his legacy of treating cleft patients.
Figure 1: Dr Noordhoff with Dr Jyotsna Murthy at Chennai (2003)
We lost a beacon of selfless medical services for needy individuals. He was strongly
supported in this endeavour by his wife Lucy and children.
