Paediatrician James Lau's death has shocked the medical community
The Sars outbreak yesterday claimed the life of its first Hong Kong doctor.
Paediatric surgeon James Lau Tai-kwan, 56, died 12 days after being admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on March 22 in a critical condition.
He is believed to have developed Sars symptoms on March 20 after being infected by one of his young patients. Lau, who also suffered heart disease, was married and had a child who is a final-year medical student.
He was the second private doctor to contract Sars from a patient. The first, a Dr Lai, is recovering in hospital.
Patients who consulted Lau from March 20 to 22 are being tracked down to check on their conditions. An alert was issued by the Department of Health on March 27 for the patients to contact the department on 27607721.