Ko Wing-man is a man on a mission. The orthopaedic surgeon has devoted his time and professional expertise to helping the needy and, when possible, to travelling to danger areas where his professional skills are put to good use.
'One of my mentors told me that orthopaedic [surgery] is practical when things are peaceful, but can be even more useful in times of disaster or war,' Ko says.
That proved to be true when a devastating earthquake struck Sichuan in mid-2008. The disaster killed thousands, and many more were injured and needed emergency surgery, with some survivors having to undergo amputations.
'There were so many patients,' he recalls. 'The doctors and surgeons could only do their best in the first few days to save victims' lives. It takes time to help people fully recover because there can be different types of problems afterwards, especially when patients need [artificial] limbs.'
Although it has been more than a year since the quake, Ko still spends about one week a month in Sichuan as a member of Red Cross Hong Kong's international relief team. Working closely with the China Disabled Persons' Federation, Hong Kong medical team members are continuing to provide treatment and follow-up services from a base in Deyang. So far, they have performed more than 400 surgeries to help as many people as possible.
'If patients have had to undergo amputations, it takes time for the wound to heal, and there may be some bone and scarring problems later on,' Ko explains. 'That is why we are still doing the follow-up surgeries today.'