President Chen Shui-bian on June 28 met Dr. Barry Marshall, the winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Dr. Marshall is visiting Taiwan at the invitation of National Taiwan University Hospital to participate in an international academic seminar that marks the 112th anniversary of the hospital. The staff of the hospital and members of the medical community here are delighted to have the opportunity to meet Dr. Marshall and learn from him. President Chen, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), extended a warm welcome and appreciation to Dr. Marshall.
President Chen said that in just over a decade's time, the major discoveries made by one individual have been responsible for improving the quality of life for tens of millions of people. He noted that few people worldwide could make an impact on discovering the causes of and improving treatment of peptic ulcers. Dr. Marshall, however, has achieved such a feat, and President Chen expressed his admiration for his achievements.
The president added that Dr. Marshall has an extremely sharp eye, extraordinary courage, and a conscientious work ethic, all of which are worthy of emulation by others. While Dr. Marshall was born into an ordinary household, he has chalked up enormous achievements. President Chen said it has been quite a feat for Dr. Marshall, who was born in a small mining town in Western Australia, to be able to ultimately win the Nobel Prize.
The president said that as a young doctor Dr. Marshall, in the process of providing diagnosis and treatment of his patients, was able to find the true cause for illness. He discovered new intelligence and truths about disease, as well as developing new techniques and the best methods to treat the disease. His work on this front has laid the foundation for his achievements. Taiwan's medical community should emulate Dr. Marshall in this respect, the president said.