SINGAPORE: Dr Kar Hao Teoh, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in the UK, died by gunshot on Aug 3 in Cape Town, South Africa, when he took a wrong turn and ended up amid a violent strike by minibus taxi drivers.
He was shot in the head while in the vehicle with his wife, Sara, and their two-year-old son, Hugo, as well as one other person. Four other people were killed due to the strike that day.
Dr Teoh, 40, a British national, was born in Singapore and is said to have studied at Raffles Institution (RI) and Raffles Junior College (RJC), AsiaOne reports.
He was called an “award-winning British surgeon and “loving family man” by those who knew him, said The Guardian on Aug 10.
The piece quotes Dr Teoh’s colleagues at the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society as saying, “He was remembered by colleagues past and present as a kind, gentle person, a dedicated and talented surgeon and a rising star of the foot and ankle world who had already made a big impact in the British and European Foot and Ankle Societies. He has worked in Scotland, England and Wales and has left fond memories with people in all corners of the country.”
The surgeon had been awarded an international prize for his groundbreaking research into treating ankle fractures two years ago.
Online tributes to Dr Teoh have been published by the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, the British Orthopaedic Association, and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, among others.
A crowdfunding endeavour has been launched to help the surgeon’s young family. Those who wish to donate may do so here:
The endeavour also invites those who knew Dr Teoh to send in “pictures, memories, letters, and stories about Kar. These will be compiled for Hugo, Kar’s 2-year-old son, ensuring he grows up with a vivid picture of the incredible person his father was” through this email address: [email protected]
/TISG
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