Frits Tjong-Ayong
Frits André Tjong Ayong was a Surinamese surgeon and urologist. He was the father of writer and poet and uncle of composer and pianist Majoie Hajary.
Biography
He was born into the Tjong Ayong family as the youngest son of Willem Tjong Ayong and Carolina Esse. He completed his medical training at the University of Groningen under Professor Leendert Eerland, under whom he received his doctorate as a surgeon and urologist on April 4, 1949. His thesis was Prostatectomia retropubica extra-vesicalis volgens van Stockum-Millin. One of his papers was "Suriname heeft behoefte aan volledig en modern opgeleide specialisten". In 1937, he married Paulina Comvalius, daughter of Samuel Henriquez de Granada. They had five children.From August 1, 1938 to 1981, Tjong Ayong was the director of the Sint Vincentius Hospital in Paramaribo. He was the first hospital director of Chinese descent in Suriname. Under his leadership, many improvements were implemented, training programs for nurses and midwives were established, and expansions were made.