Page 145 - HKU Surgery 110 Anniversary E-Book

Chapter V. Embracing the Modern Age

The Changing Clinical Wanting a Human Touch

Environment The professionalisation of medical documentation. I also think it’s perhaps

care and reliance on technology can be more impersonal now. You can call it
wonderful in advancing new treatments. professional, but the interaction with
Over the past decade or so, major moves and Hospital and Gleneagles Hospital But there is also a concern that it may result nurses and younger doctors is that they
have been underway to upgrade and Hong Kong. The Department contributes in more perfunctory care, particularly if want to check the box, get through the
enhance the clinical environment, as to healthcare in Hong Kong through accompanied by onerous administrative checklist. They just get on with the work
initiated by both the Faculty and the its high-end expertise. At Queen Mary requirements. Professor John Boey has – boom, boom, boom, this is what’s going
government. The Faculty for its part has Hospital, it handles the most difficult witnessed this. to happen, and we’ll shunt you through.”
solidified its clinical network to give tertiary and quaternary referral cases. Professor Stephen Cheng has also noticed
students a greater variety of experiences There are now 14 specialist divisions in “People making top-down financial the paperwork burden. “In the operating
in public and private hospitals. It also the Department that are adopting state- decisions have no first-line exposure room, there is now so much time spent
launched a major initiative, the HKU- of-the-art technologies and pioneering to the problems they cause. I have been dealing with what I think is complete
Shenzhen Hospital, which opened its new surgical treatments. While such in hospital where the nurses have their nonsense. Checklists here and there.
doors in 2012 and advanced rapidly degree of specialisation may not be back to the patient as they face the Do they remember why we are here? To
under HKU’s guidance. applicable in all hospitals, it has enabled computer filling in a form, while the perform operations on patients, right?
the Department to provide final hope to patient is choking. We’re seeing that all We are not here to fill in 100 forms and
Alongside these developments, the patients suffering from highly complex the time because paper pushers want do all these other things.”
Department’s hospitals in Hong Kong and clinically formidable conditions.
have been undergoing major renovations.
Queen Mary Hospital has a building On staffing, the Department is in charge
and renovation programme underway, of both the academic and service units The COVID Lessons
including a new block that will house all at Queen Mary Hospital and there are
surgical wards and operating theatres – people working on different terms as
something that will be greatly welcome some are paid through HKU, others The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a For students, their internships more
because surgery is currently based in through the Hospital Authority. In some test and an opportunity for the Faculty. than make up any ground lost, said Dr
two separate buildings and multiple respects, the HA option can seem more While the SARS outbreak in 2003 required Joshua Samuel Xin-Meng Hu, whose
floors, which is inefficient and costly. attractive – doctors are promoted more some online learning and a few weeks of pre-clinical years were interrupted by
At Grantham Hospital, the old building quickly and do not have an obligation disruption, COVID-19 left things in an COVID. “Nothing can prepare you for
has been torn down and two new ones to do research, although they are given uncertain state for three years. Teaching starting work as a houseman. You just
will open in 2027 to house services opportunities if they want. But the work moved quickly online and Zoom classes have to figure it out. I don’t think having
currently provided at Tung Wah Hospital by academics to advance knowledge and were organised, including for lessons in more exposure as a medical student could
and include a breast centre, outpatient, test and pioneer new technologies has suturing. Students were sent suturing have changed things. You learn when you
radiography and research facilities. The been important in convincing the HA to packs with needles, needle holder and are trying to do things.”
Department also takes part in clinical adopt a number of innovations. At Queen suturing materials and watched online
activities at the Hong Kong Children’s Mary, the hospital administration has demonstrations by their teachers, who Other areas of the Department’s work
Hospital and sends surgical residents recently introduced an academic pillar also observed students practising at were also disrupted by COVID-19.
on rotation for training at two private to support teaching and research. home. Non-essential operations were cancelled
hospitals, the Hong Kong Sanatorium or postponed and staff numbers were
“We were still able to teach them how to affected by quarantine requirements for
“HA staff have more opportunities, especially if they want to move into private suture online, which was not imaginable infected persons and their families. “Even
practice. In my division of breast surgery, we welcome them and show them all before COVID-19. Of course, now it is today, operating rooms are not working
aspects – academic, research development, and technology – and then they can not necessary and it is much better to at 100 per cent,” said Professor Stephen
teach students face-to-face. But in case Cheng.
decide what they want to do. But it can be quite difficult for an HA doctor to bring we face a similar situation in future, we
new technologies to the Hospital Authority. We can use the University to do that.” are much better prepared,” Professor Chu

- Professor Ava Kwong - Kent-Man said.

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