廣肇善堂碑--photoed by Michael Arnold 2014 |
由於一張照片,「廣肇善堂」的石碑至今尚立在堤岸阮智芳街(Đường Nguyễn Trấi)和福興街(Đường phuóc Hưng)的交叉口。不由的引起我的好奇,意外的是我居然找到資料,既然找到了,就跟大家分享一下吧!
「廣肇善堂」為「廣肇醫院」的前身,建於民國前五年(西元1907年)3月,院址在提岸光中路493號(舊為梅山街)。當時,堤岸區疫症流行,患者苦無棲身求醫之所,廣肇幫幫長霍紹雄及僑領馮寅初、陳維有、葉次衡,向法屬殖民政府申請核准,將堤岸梅山街「穗義祠」舊址,改建爲留醫善堂「廣肇善堂」,以收容病僑。草創之始,設備簡單,至同年6月請香港醫生南來,經費由西貢堤岸兩廣肇帮公所援助。
1908年,公所決議四、六分擔,後該院經費又得公餘小俱樂部之助,於是增聘醫生一人,而施藥室同時成立。後由葉伯行、李卓峰諸君等擧行演劇籌款,乃建「保和病院」,隨後又增建「風雨亭」。
1919年,天花症流行,病僑留醫日衆,乃發起募捐運動,成績可觀;於是保安、保寧、適康暨傳染病院、吉祥神經病院,得以次第興建,同時,簡照南及孔照昆仲以其先翁銘石公名義,建銘石女院全等病院。
1921年冬,各病院先後落成,逐補行開幕典禮,正式改名為「廣肇醫院」。由於當時該院各董事以醫院無恒產,爲永久計,乃提倡購置堤岸水兵街店舖二十三間以為孳息。
1922年,購置堤岸梅山街及福興街屋宇共二十五間。
1928年,又續購拉架街、福興巷、福來巷、積善巷屋宇共五十九間。
1930年,又增建女留醫病院一座。
1935年,因經費不敷,該院主席何禹疇發動月捐,順利進行,建築全院圍牆、道路、涼亭、石凳,整頓環良衛生,面目一新。嗣後該院主持人對院務積極發展,群策群力,建樹良多。
該院中西醫藥倶備,門診部每日就診者約七八十人,每月留醫之男女病僑約四百衆。全院計有中西醫師、護士、男女職員工役,計八十二人。
Cholon's Quảng Triệu Community
Hospital
On the corner of Nguyen Trai and
Phuoc Hung stands a solid stone column inscribed with the words 廣肇善堂. I recently saw it in a
photograph, and so I decided to uncover its history. My investigations showed
that it marks an area owned by the Quảng Triệu (廣肇)
community in order to fund their hospitals.
According to historical records,
the 廣肇善堂 was built in March
1907. At that time, epidemics were spreading throughout the Cholon area, and it
was beyond the capacity of existing hospitals to deal with the urgent demand for
treatment. Leaders of the Quảng Triệu community asked the French colonial
government for their approval to construct a small hospital, which was then
called the「留醫善堂」. In the
beginning, the hospital had only basic equipment, although by June they had
engaged a doctor from Hong Kong. Funding for the hospital came from both the
Quảng Triệu community hall of Saigon and the Quảng Triệu community hall of
Cholon.
In 1908, the「保和病院」and「風雨亭」were also
constructed. Then in 1919, due to a smallpox epidemic and increasing
numbers of patients, the Quảng Triệu community hall held some fundraising
activities and received quite a lot of money, allowing them to construct
the「保安」、「保寧」、「適康暨傳染病院」 (Hospital for Infectious Diseases)、「吉祥神經病院」 (Neuropathy
Hospital), and「銘石女院」 (Women’s Hospital).
In 1921, after all of the
hospitals were completed, the name of the complex was officially changed to the
「廣肇醫院」Y Viện Quảng Đông
(Cantonese Hospital) during the opening ceremony. At that time, the directors of
the hospital realised that the hospital needed to find a stable form of funding,
and accordingly purchased 23 shops on 水兵街 (Dong Khanh). In 1922, they
purchased a further 25 houses on 梅山街 (now Nguyen Trai) and 及福興街 (now
Phuoc Hung), where the stone marker now stands to mark the
boundary line of the territory owned by the hospital board.
In 1928, the hospital
administration purchased 59 houses on 拉架街、福興巷、福來巷、and 積善巷. Another women’s hospital was
then built in 1930. Even so, funding for the hospital proved insufficient by
1935, at which time the leaders of the Quảng Triệu community hall began to
source monthly donations to reconstruct the hospital.
As the hospital belonged to the
Quảng Triệu community hall, they selected the director of the hospital from
amongst their community, and the funding for the hospital was sourced from rents
from hospital-owned buildings, support from the directors, donations from the
Cantonese community, and sometimes from theatrical fundraising events.
In 1955,according to the policy of
the South Vietnamese government, Chinese names could no longer be used in South
Vietnam, and so the hospital name was changed to Nguyễn Tri Phương hospital, as
it is still known today. The hospital was nationalised in 1975.