Two Hong Kong doctors who allegedly caused a patient’s death in 2017 have been barred from meeting the family of the deceased as part of their bail conditions while they await a manslaughter trial. Lam Chi-kwan, 50, and Chan Siu-kim, 45, appeared in Eastern Court on Monday for the first time since police charged them with manslaughter over the death of Tang Kwai-sze, who suffered severe liver failure at United Christian Hospital on August 26, 2017. Prosecutors allege Lam “unlawfully killed” the 44-year-old woman between January 20 and August 26, 2017, while Chan committed the offence from February 17 to August 26 of the same year. A charge sheet available for press inspection does not specify whether the offence was the result of gross negligence or an unlawful act. Prosecutors applied for a three-month adjournment for police to further consider evidence, adding they did not object to an extension to the defendants’ bail if they agreed to observe a set of more stringent conditions. Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui Yee-mei granted bail to the pair at HK$50,000 each (US$6,400) – 10 times the amount they paid to secure their temporary release earlier this month. The court also ordered the duo to stay in Hong Kong, surrender all travel documents, report to police twice a week and refrain from contacting any prosecution witnesses, including the daughter and younger sister of the deceased. 2 Hong Kong doctors arrested over patient’s death following medical blunder The high-profile case involves an alleged mix-up of drug prescriptions which ultimately led to Tang, a mother of two girls, suffering acute liver failure. She died in August 2017 after multiple surgical procedures failed to save her life. The arrest of the two doctors has sent shock waves through Hong Kong’s medical profession. The pair will return to the same court on April 18. Manslaughter trials take place before a judge and jury at the Court of First Instance but, unlike murder, defendants can apply for bail before a magistrate. Manslaughter is punishable by up to life in jail.