Dumped and distressed, dad just wants to see his son again
A 75-year-old Hong Kong man - suspected of being abandoned by his son in Guangzhou and stripped of his money and travel documents - was taken back to Hong Kong yesterday after spending more than two weeks in hospital with both legs broken.
But Tse Kam-wo says he is not concerned about the money. All he wants is to see his son again.
Tse was admitted to North District Hospital at about 5.30pm after a Guangdong ambulance brought him to the border and he was transferred to a Hong Kong ambulance.
In the hospital, Tse said his son took him to Guangzhou for an eye operation after he was diagnosed with cataracts. His son then took away his travel documents and HK$5,000 in cash, saying he had not brought enough money for the operation.
'[My son] said the operation costs HK$150,000 and he did not have enough money ... he said he needed to return to Hong Kong to get more money,' Tse said.
'I gave him HK$5,000 and the key to my deposit box at Hang Seng Bank,' he said. 'But I could not find him later. I lost contact with him.'
With his eye condition making his sight blurry, Tse searched for his son in the streets, but he fell over and broke both legs.
'I was admitted to [Guangzhou] hospital. I stayed there for more than two weeks. Because I did not have money, my broken legs were not treated.'
He ate leftover food given to him by strangers, Tse said.
'It's not a matter of the money now. I just want him to see me. If you don't have money, I can give you some. Money is no big deal. I can't take money with me in my coffin. But why did he lie to me?'
Tse had lived with his son in Tai Wai, he said. They were not close, and shared a meal only about once a month.
Tse's plight came to light when the Guangzhou hospital told the Federation of Trade Unions office about his situation. The union relayed the case to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong.
Choi To, chief immigration officer at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, said: 'We were informed by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau that Mr Tse had a fall in Guangzhou and had been hospitalised, but they could not reach his family.'
Officers from the trade office visited Tse in hospital on Tuesday. Both his thigh bones were broken but he was conscious, Choi said.
'Tse said he wanted to receive treatment in Hong Kong but had lost all his travel documents. After searching our records, we asked the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau to issue a temporary permit for Tse as soon as possible,'
The Immigration Department has so far been unable to reach Tse's family, but would continue to try, he said.
It has referred Tse's case to the Social Welfare Department and asked social workers at North District Hospital to follow up.
