Former head of surgery at University of Hong Kong loses licence for 6 months
Three years after misconduct conviction, John Wong loses his licence for six months
The former head of surgery at the University of Hong Kong had his medical licence suspended for six months by the Medical Council yesterday, three years after he was convicted of misconduct and false accounting in 2012.
John Wong, who served as the chief of HKU's department of surgery between 1982 and 2008, was convicted in March 2012 of two counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of false accounting after trial in the District Court. He was sentenced to 240 hours of community service.
The council yesterday revealed the results of a disciplinary hearing on Wong's case. Professor Joseph Lau Wan-yee, the council's chairman, stated in the judgment that what Wong had done "was no doubt in breach of trust".
But the council did not deny or minimise Wong's contribution to the medical sector. It said he had had a "distinguished professional career" when he "had spurned … repeated invitations to join very lucrative private practice".
It also said he had dedicated his life to public service, teaching and research. Wong donated significantly to people in need and raised substantial amounts of money for the HKU medical faculty.
The council heard that Wong's health had deteriorated in recent years. His eyesight has deteriorated and he has sustained a significant loss of hearing. A survivor of severe coronary artery disease, Wong has undergone an angioplasty stenting procedure and still requires continual medication.