Source:
https://scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2185162/how-one-hong-kong-public-hospital-put-private-peers-shade-loved-ones
Comment/ Letters

How one Hong Kong public hospital put private peers in the shade: loved ones of grateful patient recall

  • Family says treatment of mother prior to her passing away from cancer was far better at Prince of Wales than at private facilities
A nurse (left) helps students of advanced emergency nursing practice receive hands-on experience with patients at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin. Photo: David Wong

My mother peacefully passed away not long ago. Before her death, my mother reminded me time and again to write to the South China Morning Post to express her and my entire family’s heartfelt thanks to the clinical oncology ward of the Prince of Wales Hospital.

During the last phase of her struggle with cancer, my mother was put under the medical care of this ward. Despite the immense pain she suffered in her hospital bed, my mother felt blessed to be looked after by the dedicated medical and nursing team there. They have admirably showed their caring and professional attitude towards patients.

In the earlier stage of her fight with cancer, my mother went to a couple of private hospitals and a renowned oncologist in private practice in Hong Kong before switching to Prince of Wales. Sad to say, the standard of care and quality of advice and services we experienced in private hospitals, and from the private-practice oncologist, were way below what we experienced at Prince of Wales, and even more so in terms of empathy with patients.

Who says the quality of private sector medical services is necessarily better than that in the public sector? The experience of my own family in the past year has shown exactly the reverse.

My family’s most sincere compliments to the clinical oncology ward of Prince of Wales Hospital! You have, despite limited resources, outperformed your private sector counterparts.

Desmond Chow, Mid-Levels