Patients' battles changed outgoing Hospital Authority boss Anthony Wu Ting-yuk

Having stepped into medicine from business, Anthony Wu Ting-yuk said the life-and-death struggles he saw in hospitals changed his values.

In his past nine years as the Hospital Authority chairman, he has paid many hospital visits to compensate for his lack of medical knowledge.

"My values have changed after seeing so many helpless patients," he said. "There are a lot things that shouldn't be taken for granted."

One childhood cancer group, the Little Life Warrior Society, especially touched him.

He learned how mutual support between parents makes a big difference in coping with the disease. One mother wanted to kill herself together with her son, who had a cancerous brain tumour. But meeting another parent, and the encouragement they gave each other, changed her.

Inspired by seeing the young cancer patients' fight to recover, Wu became the group's honorary patron and invited the children to sing at the authority's 20th anniversary celebration.

Although Wu was a board member before becoming chairman, he admitted that his medical knowledge was limited.