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As old wounds heal, a healthy future beckons

Ella Lee

It was once the young upstart, trying desperately to catch up with its venerable grandfather-like counterpart. But now Chinese University and the University of Hong Kong are more like brothers.

While HKU's medical faculty has a 122-year history, Chinese University's medical faculty was set up only 28 years ago, admitting its first batch of students in 1981, three years before the opening of its teaching hospital, the Prince of Wales.

In the early years, students received clinical training at United Christian and Kowloon hospitals, and some classes were even held inside containers.

Fok Tai-fai, who joined Chinese University in 1984 and is now dean of medicine, said manpower resources at that time were very tight.

Medical sector legislator Leung Ka-lau, one of the first batch of graduates in 1986, agreed, saying the university had relatively few resources at the start. 'But I never felt we were underdogs. Having a class in a container was OK with me - at least there was air conditioning. Some hospitals at that time did not have air conditioning.'

The two schools have been at odds in recent years after the former dean of medicine at HKU, Lam Shiu-kum, criticised Chinese University for its handling of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

His comments drew a fierce reaction from Chinese University.

There was also uproar among some Chinese University medical staff when the Hospital Authority closed its liver-transplant centre and merged it with HKU's transplant centre in 2003.

For the past few years, the two schools have been competitive in research, with both active in holding press conferences to release their research findings and discoveries.

A Chinese University medical source said relations improved after Professor Lam's departure, following a scandal involving irregular billing of private patients. But the source said it would take some time for Chinese University graduates to take up important posts in the government and health authorities. Traditionally, HKU medical graduates have occupied key positions in the profession, and its 'class of 1981' was a showcase.

Graduates from that class included Fung Hong, the chief of the New Territories East cluster; Nancy Tung Sau-ying, designated chief of the Kowloon West cluster; the Hospital Authority's director of cluster services, Cheung Wai-lun; and the authority's former director, Ko Wing-man.

Other well-known doctors from the class include the head of the university's microbiology department, Yuen Kwok-yung; the president of the College of Surgeons, Yeung Chung-kwong; cardiologist Lau Chu-pak; and a former president of the Public Doctors' Association, Lai Kang-yiu.

Dr Ko said HKU established a strong service network with many public hospitals before Chinese University's medical school opened.

'Leaders of Chinese University at that time had a bitter concern over resources. But now the two schools are equal. In our profession, we seldom ask a doctor where he or she graduated.'

Corrective surgery

After years of division, the medical schools of the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University will be working together in a move that some say could result in better doctors

University of Hong Kong medical faculty

Oldest faculty in Hong Kong?s tertiary education system, founded as Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in: 1887

Main teaching hospital Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam

Number of staff: 230

Number of students: 1,900+

Chinese University medical faculty

Admitted first batch of 60 students in: 1981

Teaching hospital Prince of Wales Hospital, Sha Tin

Number of staff: 230

Number of students: 1,400+

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