Coma victim's surgeon won't be swayed by colleagues' sniping

The neurosurgeon treating the teenage boy who was seriously injured in the Manila hostage incident says he will continue focusing on his job despite complaints from doctors at other hospitals that the patient should be under their care.

Dr Dawson Fong To-sang, the head of neurosurgery at Tuen Mun Hospital, has been leading a team treating 18-year-old Jason Leung Song-xue, who suffered serious brain damage in the August 23 tragedy.

Leung's father and two sisters died in the incident, while his mother survived. The hospital will today update the media on Leung's condition.

The teenager, who has been in a coma since the incident, recently showed a slight reaction to outside stimulation after doctors reduced the use of sedatives. The swelling in his brain and the blockage of a major vein there has also eased.

Last week, the hospital said he could breathe unaided. Yesterday Fong said he was making progress. 'He has been with us for three weeks and his condition has stabilised.'

A person familiar with the situation said there had been complaints from other hospitals that the Hospital Authority had not put Leung under their care.

'I can handle the pressures of my job as a surgeon,' Fong said. 'In this case, the patient's condition itself is not that complicated but the politics on the non-medical side is confusing ... This is noise and pollution. I will focus on my work and won't be influenced by this.'