The founding of Ningde People's Hospital in Fujian Province can be traced back to 1905. That means this hospital has a long history of 118 years. The missionaries' maternal and children's hospital was its predecessor.
In 1905, Dr. M. L. Hanington (1875–1966) from St. John's, Canada, borrowed half of the storeroom of the school as a pharmacy and five small rooms as inpatient wards. She hired Ms. Ye Xiangying as an assistant and a maid as a partner. The first hospital in Ningde to practice western medicine was Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital (later renamed as "Everlasting Hospital"), which the Anglican Church founded.
In the spring of 1906, Hanington won a grant from the Medical Association to build a new pharmacy, but it was still unable to meet medical needs.
In September 1908, Dr. Hanington returned to Canada during her holiday to conduct charity sales and fundraising, which received a warm response. After returning to Ningde, she bought the land near Yuxiu Female School and planned to build a new hospital. J. C. Clarke (1872–1939), the teacher of the Yuxiu Female School, knew that Dr. Hanington had little time to mind the construction, so she stepped forward to shoulder the responsibility of communication, coordination, and supervision of the construction.
In March 1911, the new Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital was completed, "with two long wards, each with eight beds." There was also a separate ward with three beds for troublesome cases and patients. There was also a nursery, which could accommodate three or four children, connected to the nurse's room and a separate room with two beds.
In May 1912, Dr. Hanington fell ill from overwork (rumored to be tuberculosis) and had to return home to recuperate. After one year, she recovered, but only a year later, because of overwork, she relapsed.
In 1918, Dr. Hanington relapsed again, and Dr. Hanington talked with Jia Qingze about sending a student to study medicine to take over the hospital in the future. Jia recommended Ruan Qiongzhu, who was born in Fudaidu, Xixiang, Ningde. Ruan Qiongzhu came from a poor family. She was sold as a child bride when she was only six years old.
In 1921, at the age of 25, Ruan graduated from Guangdong Xiage Medical College and became the first Chinese dean of this hospital.
In the autumn of 1924, Ruan went to Beijing Union Medical College for further study, where she met and became close friends with Lin Qiaozhi, an expert in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1927, Ruan returned from Germany to continue her studies and established a vocational school for nurses.
In January 1932, Ruan completed the construction of a new hospital with donations from various circles, including donations from the church and donations collected by Jia Qingze and Dr. Hanington from Britain.
In 1934, Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital implemented branch management and set up departments like internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and gynecology. The new technology of modern medicine was promoted, and its name was changed to "Everlasting Hospital“.
In 1938, the government of the Republic of China renamed the hospital Ningde County Health Center. In August 1949, the government of the People's Republic of China took over the hospital. In 1966, the Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital had 110 beds and 110 staff. On November 18, 2019, it was changed to Ningde People's Hospital.
(The article is reposted with permission from the Wechat public account: "Searching for the Missionary's Footsteps".)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
小引：福建省宁德市人民医院，其创办的时间可以追溯至1905年，距今已有118年悠久历史，前身是传教士建立的妇幼医院。
1905年，来自加拿大圣约翰市的韩美宝医生（Dr. M. L. Hanington1875-1966）借-半间储藏室作为药房，5间小房间作为住院病房。并聘请叶香莺女士为助手，并雇一女佣同为伴侣。这所由英国圣公会创办的宁德圣教妇幼医院，成为宁德地区最早的西医医院。
1906年春，韩美宝向医学会争取到一笔拨款，新建了一座药房，但仍无法满足医疗需求。
1908年9月，韩美宝利用假期回国，进行义卖和募捐，得到热烈响应。返宁后，她买下毓秀女校附近的土地，计划修建新医院。女校老师嘉清泽师姑（J. C. Clarke1872-1939）知道韩美宝医生无暇他顾，因此挺身而出，肩负起沟通协调和监督施工的重任。
1911年3月，崭新的宁德圣教妇幼医院落成，“有两栋长长的病房，各有八张床。还有一座独立的病房，有三张床，专为麻烦的病例和病人而设。另有一间育婴室，可容下三四个孩子，和护士的房间相通，并连着一个有两张床的独立房间”.
1912年5月，韩美宝医生积劳成疾（据传为肺结核病），只能回国疗养。1年，她病愈归来，但只过了一年，又因操劳过度，旧病复发。
1918年，韩美宝再次旧病复发，韩美宝医生与嘉清泽师姑长谈，希望能派一名学生学医以在将来接管医院。嘉清泽师姑推荐了出生于宁德西乡富代都，家境贫寒，6岁被卖作童养媳的阮琼珠。
1921年，25岁的阮琼珠从广东夏葛医学院毕业回来成为第一任华人院长。
1924年秋，阮琼珠到北京协和医学院进修，在那里，她与妇产科专家“万婴之母”林巧稚相识并结为密友。1927年，阮从德国深造归来，续任院长，创办了护士职业学校。
1932年1月，阮琼珠将嘉师姑和韩美宝医生早年从英国募捐的善款、教会赞助、各界捐款，建成新医院。
1934年，医院实行分科管理，设立内科、外科、妇产科等；推行现代医学新技术，更名“永生医院”。
1938年，国民政府将医院改名为宁德县卫生院。1949年8月，人民政府接管了医院。1966年，医院病床增至110张，职工110人。2019年11月18日，改为宁德市人民医院。
文章蒙允转载自公众号：寻找传教士的足迹
The founding of Ningde People's Hospital in Fujian Province can be traced back to 1905. That means this hospital has a long history of 118 years. The missionaries' maternal and children's hospital was its predecessor.
In 1905, Dr. M. L. Hanington (1875–1966) from St. John's, Canada, borrowed half of the storeroom of the school as a pharmacy and five small rooms as inpatient wards. She hired Ms. Ye Xiangying as an assistant and a maid as a partner. The first hospital in Ningde to practice western medicine was Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital (later renamed as "Everlasting Hospital"), which the Anglican Church founded.
In the spring of 1906, Hanington won a grant from the Medical Association to build a new pharmacy, but it was still unable to meet medical needs.
In September 1908, Dr. Hanington returned to Canada during her holiday to conduct charity sales and fundraising, which received a warm response. After returning to Ningde, she bought the land near Yuxiu Female School and planned to build a new hospital. J. C. Clarke (1872–1939), the teacher of the Yuxiu Female School, knew that Dr. Hanington had little time to mind the construction, so she stepped forward to shoulder the responsibility of communication, coordination, and supervision of the construction.
In March 1911, the new Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital was completed, "with two long wards, each with eight beds." There was also a separate ward with three beds for troublesome cases and patients. There was also a nursery, which could accommodate three or four children, connected to the nurse's room and a separate room with two beds.
In May 1912, Dr. Hanington fell ill from overwork (rumored to be tuberculosis) and had to return home to recuperate. After one year, she recovered, but only a year later, because of overwork, she relapsed.
In 1918, Dr. Hanington relapsed again, and Dr. Hanington talked with Jia Qingze about sending a student to study medicine to take over the hospital in the future. Jia recommended Ruan Qiongzhu, who was born in Fudaidu, Xixiang, Ningde. Ruan Qiongzhu came from a poor family. She was sold as a child bride when she was only six years old.
In 1921, at the age of 25, Ruan graduated from Guangdong Xiage Medical College and became the first Chinese dean of this hospital.
In the autumn of 1924, Ruan went to Beijing Union Medical College for further study, where she met and became close friends with Lin Qiaozhi, an expert in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1927, Ruan returned from Germany to continue her studies and established a vocational school for nurses.
In January 1932, Ruan completed the construction of a new hospital with donations from various circles, including donations from the church and donations collected by Jia Qingze and Dr. Hanington from Britain.
In 1934, Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital implemented branch management and set up departments like internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and gynecology. The new technology of modern medicine was promoted, and its name was changed to "Everlasting Hospital“.
In 1938, the government of the Republic of China renamed the hospital Ningde County Health Center. In August 1949, the government of the People's Republic of China took over the hospital. In 1966, the Ningde Shengjiao Women's and Children's Hospital had 110 beds and 110 staff. On November 18, 2019, it was changed to Ningde People's Hospital.
(The article is reposted with permission from the Wechat public account: "Searching for the Missionary's Footsteps".)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
