Inauguration Speech
Dr Maurice Leung,
Founding President of the Hong Kong
Society of Paediatric Cardiology
For those who are familiar with the provision of medical services in Hong Kong, you would agree that paediatric cardiology is a well recognized subspecialty with high standard being practiced locally, comparable to other leading well developed countries.
The formation of a Paediatric Cardiac Society for our Special Administrative Region is long overdue. Our aim is to increase the awareness of children's heart health amongst the public, and to propagate and update knowledge on children's heart diseases for both medical and other health care supporting personnel.
To those medical and paramedical staff that enthusiastically supported the formation of our society, I would like to pay tribute to their efforts. I like to describe them as a very dedicated group, all willing to contribute their "know-how" to provide service to the community — especially to the group of sick children with an underlying heart disease — many of them would require early operation for survival.
Hence, our group is formed by paediatric cardiologists and trainees, paediatric nursing staff, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthetists and radiologist — all grouping together to provide an interacting platform to up-lift our awareness of recent developments and controversies in this dynamic and rapidly evolving medical field, and sharing of experience on different issues relating to the better care of children with a heart problem.
The provision of paediatric cardiac service in Hong Kong has gone a long way for the past 20 years. Back in the early 50s and 60s, a few closed heart operation were performed locally (division of patent duct). Patients diagnosed with other types of lesions were sent overseas for surgery. Open heart operations were first initiated in Queen Mary Hospital in 1964 and later on at Queen Elizabeth Hospital — working mostly on simple lesions of atrial septal defect or valvar stenosis. Today Hong Kong can boast to handle difficult and complex operations in the early neonatal period as in arterial switch operation for babies born with transposed great vessels, closed off large septal defects in early infancy, Fontan operation bypassing the need of a right ventricle, conduit operation for complex heart without a patent pulmonary outflow tract and closing holes and dilating narrowed vessels of the heart with interventional devices in no less than 3 or 4 hospitals with excellent results.
One of the primary aims for our inauguration is to acknowledge those who have contributed to the development of paediatric cardiac service in Hong Kong. It is of interest to know, that in the early days, a few adult cardiologists have posted themselves as paediatric cardiologist, paving for the ultimate development of our present subspecialty.
We would duly recognize the followings, who directly or indirectly helped to promote the paediatric cardiac service for the special administrative region:
Adult Cardiologists
Dr Pan Yam Kee Joseph, Dr RJ Barnes Dr Cheung King Loong
Dr. Tse Tak Fu (Founder of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology and past president
of the World Heart Federation),
Cardiac Anesthetists
Dr Butt Nancy, Dr Douglas Jones,
Dr. Lai Kin-Ming, Dr Arul Devasirvatham Sudhaman
Cardiac surgeons
Professor Ong GB Dr John Leung
Dr Kwong Kok Hei Professor Mok Che Keung
Dr Lee Wai Tsun Jan Dr Ho Kwok Keung,
Dr David Cheung Dr Chiu Sui Wah Clement
Dr. Ma Chan Chung
Paediatricians and Paediatric Cardiologists
Professor Robert Freedom (late Chair Professor, Hospital for Sick Children,
University of Toronto)
Professor RH Anderson (Emeritus Professor, University College, London)
Professor Yeung Chap Yung (Emeritus Professor, University of Hong Kong )
Dr Alice Chow, Dr Wai Kee Ho
Dr Lau Kai Chiu, Dr Roxy Lo Dr. Leung Nin Ming
Professor Lau Yu Lung, Professor Fok Tai Fai
The dedicated group presently working in Queen Mary Hospital:
Dr. Chau Kai Tung, Dr. Yung Tak Cheung,
Professor Cheung Yiu Fai, Dr. Lun Kin Shing
Dr Cheng Nik Cheung
And the present, Council Members and Committee Members of HKPCS
Dr Ng Yin Ming, Dr Lee Shuk Han,
Dr Chan Kwok Chiu, Dr. Rita Sung (Office bearers of HKSPC);
and myself
Dr. Bobby Chan, Dr. Cheng Yan Wah Vinson,
Dr. Fong Nai Chung, Dr. Louisa Poon,
Dr. Dora Wong, Dr Arul Devasirvatham Sudahman
Dr Clement Chiu, Dr Fan Tsz Wo