Redaccion
Today, the City Council of Benidorm is going to hold an event to pay tribute to the doctor and researcher from Benidorm, Josep Pérez Fuster (Benidorm, 1856-València, 1933), by naming a street after him and hosting a conference about his figure, one of the most relevant in Valencian Medicine at the end of the 19th century. The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, has emphasized that «today we are going to make this well-deserved recognition official, approved in the last ordinary session of the Corporation, with the aim not only of highlighting the figure of this illustrious native of Benidorm, but also to fulfill an agreement that was initially approved by the Government Board in charge of the City Council in 2010, but was never materialized.»
Toni Pérez has recalled that Josep Pérez Fuster «played a key role in understanding the evolution of infectious diseases and laying the foundations for their eradication»; a figure, furthermore, «of international renown and who, just like he already has a street in the capital of Valencia, deserved at least that recognition in his hometown as well.» Especially, «this year, when it marks 130 years since he carried out the first inoculation of diphtheria antitoxin in the city of València.»
Born in Benidorm in 1856, Josep Pérez Fuster graduated in Medicine from the University of València with honors, and obtained his doctorate from the University of Madrid. Among the many positions he held, highlights include President of the Medicine Section of the Valencian Medical Institute, Director of the Hygiene Institute of Valencia, and Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine. He passed away in Valencia in 1933. His role as a doctor and researcher was crucial for the introduction of diphtheria antitoxin serotherapy in Spain, discovered in 1894. In October of that year, the municipal council of València agreed to send José Pérez Fuster to Paris, to the Pasteur Institute and Trousseau Hospital, where he stayed for three and a half months. Upon his return to Spain, on February 23, 1895, the native of Benidorm carried out the first inoculation of diphtheria antitoxin in the city of València.
Since February 23, the street located at the intersection of Avenues 9 d’Octubre and Llibertat has been renamed Calle del Metge Josep Pérez Fuster. This afternoon, the unveiling of the plaque with his name will be made official, in an event that will take place starting at 6:00 p.m. on the same street, where the Residence and Day Center for the elderly of Foietes is located, and where it is expected that some of his descendants will attend.
Following this, the Aula de Cultura of the Fundación Mediterráneo, on Calle Alameda del Alcalde Pedro Zaragoza, will host the conference entitled ‘Doctor Josep Pérez Fuster, a reference in the fight against infectious diseases’, presented by the head of the Pulmonology service at the University Hospital of Sant Joan d’Alacant, Eusebi Chiner Vives. The conference, jointly organized by the City Council and the Frax Foundation, will begin at 7:15 p.m. and is free of charge until the room reaches full capacity.
Mayor Toni Pérez has encouraged the citizens to participate in these two events to «learn more and delve into the figure of a Benidorm native who is little known to the general public, but whose role as a doctor and researcher was of great importance at the time.»
