Hospital chiefs to set up probe into suspension

The Hospital Authority will set up an independent investigation into the suspension of a Prince of Wales Hospital cardiologist after he claimed politics was involved in the probe carried out by his hospital.

An independent committee consisting of authority members and foreign experts will look into the operations performed by the doctor and the hospital management, Undersecretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said yesterday.

Chan also urged the two investigation committees set up by the hospital to submit their reports to the Hospital Authority as soon as possible.

"This [the suspension of the cardiologist] is an isolated case. We hope it will not influence public confidence in public medical services," Chan said.

Doctor Yu Cheuk-man, the former head of cardiology at the hospital, has been banned from performing surgery since February after the hospital received complaints from other doctors about the quality of his work.

Hospital chief Executive Fung Hong said on Tuesday there had been 11 serious complications, including four deaths, among Yu's patients after heart operations, some of which were high-risk procedures.