https://www.scmp.com/rss/6240/feed Dr Feng Chi-shun is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong medical school. He worked as a pathologist until his recent retirement. He is the author of three books – Diamond Hill, Hong Kong Noir, and Kitchen Tiles – all of which are based on his personal experiences. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Twice a year, we have a crisis making the front-page news: that emergency rooms and medical wards in public hospitals are overwhelmed by flu patients. A crisis is usually an unforeseen event wreaking havoc, but flu seasons are as predictable as taxes and death. Why is it then our government is never ready? Are the problems facing the Hospital Authority really insurmountable? Have they learnt anything from all the past flu seasons over the years? We can do better with our flu... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2103379/hong-kongs-predictable-peak-flu-seasons-do-not-have-trigger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2103379/hong-kongs-predictable-peak-flu-seasons-do-not-have-trigger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2017 03:41:52 +0000 Raising fees for each visit to public emergency rooms in Hong Kong hospitals, from HK$100 to HK$220, will discourage abuse and reduce the waiting time for patients with real emergencies. Raising it to HK$320 would work even better. The people of Hong Kong, although generally impatient, will wait patiently for bargains. That’s why we see long queues to buy promotional merchandise, commemorative banknotes, limited edition toys from fast food chains, or any deal where they can turn a quick profit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2069093/how-stop-bargain-hunters-crowding-out-hong-kongs-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2069093/how-stop-bargain-hunters-crowding-out-hong-kongs-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2017 06:56:41 +0000 Despite the cliché slighting beauty as being only skin deep, its pursuit is a multibillion-dollar business worldwide. It is also scandalous. In Hong Kong, the scandals range from unethical sales tactics to death by misadventure when invasive procedures go wrong. Every year, the Consumer Council receives hundreds of complaints targeting the beauty services. Occasionally, the more serious scandals make front-page news, prompting the government to see a need to regulate the industry. Yet, progress... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2059202/what-stops-hong-kong-cleaning-its-beauty-industry-ugly-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2059202/what-stops-hong-kong-cleaning-its-beauty-industry-ugly-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2017 04:36:33 +0000 There is an amusing side to the swearing-in saga involving the young would-be legislators Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang. The duo have a goody-two-shoes appearance. Leung could be a clean-cut professional and Yau the pretty girl next door. But both have shown glimpses of a rough edge. After all, the political party they founded, Youngspiration, was the product of a brainstorming session in a karaoke bar. The interior of their Legislative Council offices, aired on TV after their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2049795/legco-oaths-mischief-will-see-yau-and-leung-counting-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2049795/legco-oaths-mischief-will-see-yau-and-leung-counting-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Nov 2016 04:23:08 +0000 Populism and demagogues have become fashionable words. After all, populism has reshaped politics, from the Philippines to the US; demagogues like Rodrigo Duterte and Donald Trump have won a lot of votes. Populism and demagoguery are also alive and well in Hong Kong. People who are clueless in the ways of the world won seats in our latest Legislative Council election. They gained popularity not by proposing any brilliant ideas to solve society’s ills, but by arousing negative emotions, passions... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2040218/angry-hong-kong-giving-rise-rabble-rousers-and-it-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2040218/angry-hong-kong-giving-rise-rabble-rousers-and-it-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2016 02:01:59 +0000 Why would adding four more lay persons to the Medical Council destroy the autonomy of the medical profession, when it takes the total number of lay members to only eight, against the overwhelming majority of 24 medical members? READ MORE: Medical Council reform needs to be part of a bigger cure for Hong Kong’s ailing health care system The answer is in the semantics. According to the vociferous objectors of the latest government attempt to reform the council, only doctors who are “elected” to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1919575/hong-kong-doctors-should-know-professional-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1919575/hong-kong-doctors-should-know-professional-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2016 02:45:10 +0000 When Hong Kong’s health minister Dr Ko Wing-man announced that the proposed voluntary health insurance scheme might not be successfully launched during his term, because of roadblocks put up by the private insurance industry, what came to my mind was the schoolyard taunt – I told you so. Many months ago, I suggested in these columns that if the government had to rely on the take-up rate of private insurance companies for it to succeed, the government would be held to ransom by them. And that’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1878574/i-told-you-so-private-sector-has-derailed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1878574/i-told-you-so-private-sector-has-derailed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Nov 2015 03:00:14 +0000 Reports say there has been a fivefold increase in taxi complaints over the past 11 years. I am willing to bet most are against night-shift drivers. Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of them. Although I do not condone their nefarious practices, I know where they are coming from. Driving a taxi at night involves a certain amount of risk. Apart from customer violence and inebriation, there are common incidents of non-payment, such as when triad members or drunk, burly men simply refuse to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1850424/when-you-take-hong-kong-taxi-especially-night-be-prepared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1850424/when-you-take-hong-kong-taxi-especially-night-be-prepared?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2015 05:03:27 +0000 Not everyone enjoys perfect health in old age, then dies in their sleep. Most of us suffer from some diseases as we age, and die when they become terminal. Since death is inevitable, it makes sense to be well prepared for it, including thinking through what we want from our doctors in the final stages of our lives. End-of-life planning is such an important part of health care that US doctors are now being paid by insurance companies to discuss these issues with their patients. These include... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1734963/end-life-planning-may-be-easier-we-thought?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1734963/end-life-planning-may-be-easier-we-thought?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2015 04:05:38 +0000 Commenting on the recent street protests in Hong Kong, a senior mainland cadre pontificated that the people of Hong Kong need to be re-enlightened about the "one country, two systems" concept. This, of course, came from someone who has toed the party line all his life, and probably has never had true freedom. But we Hongkongers are different. We are used to all kinds of freedoms. We think independently and we prefer to be in control of our own destiny. We are unwilling to comply with policies... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/665430/beijing-should-lead-example-political-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/665430/beijing-should-lead-example-political-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2014 04:25:54 +0000 When I was in the US for specialist training in the 1970s, my competency in the practice of medicine was always suspect because I graduated from a medical school in the East. Such prejudice was widespread but understandable, given that I went to a country with rightful claims to be the most advanced in science, technology and medicine, while Hong Kong was then a third-world city. The validation of my competence came with passing exams. I was tested on my basic knowledge in medicine and in... https://www.scmp.com/article/986181/entry-bar-doctors-must-be-seen-be-fair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986181/entry-bar-doctors-must-be-seen-be-fair?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Public doctors working for the Hospital Authority are unhappy. Many have protested with their feet by joining the private sector; those remaining threaten to resign or work to rule. I am talking about the junior doctors, who work long hours on the front line and are inundated with administrative chores, as well as the rules and regulations inflicted on them by their seniors, who spend all day attending administrative meetings. In terms of remuneration, senior doctors get paid a lot more. The... https://www.scmp.com/article/966006/uneven-pay-heart-doctor-discontent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966006/uneven-pay-heart-doctor-discontent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 One of the problems with private health care in Hong Kong is that charges for treating the same surgical or medical problem can vary widely. That's why fixed-fee packages for medical services have been a focus of heated discussion. The government hopes fixed-fee packages can increase fee transparency in private health care, and encourage people to join the government's proposed voluntary medical insurance scheme. Any model of fixed-fee medical packages is about risk-sharing but, in theory,... https://www.scmp.com/article/733419/fixed-fee-cure-private-health-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/733419/fixed-fee-cure-private-health-care?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000 My medical insurance policy, in line with the industry norm, does not cover 'pre-existing conditions'. Since I have diabetes and hypertension, I won't be covered for a heart attack, a stroke, or kidney failure - problems I need coverage for the most because I'm ageing. And there is a chance the insurer will raise my premium or not cover me when I am older and more decrepit. The voluntary Health Protection Scheme is part of the government's latest health care reform push and promises to... https://www.scmp.com/article/730210/dont-let-private-sector-hold-health-care-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730210/dont-let-private-sector-hold-health-care-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The investigation report on the incident in which a man collapsed near Caritas Medical Centre and later died of a heart attack reads like a black comedy. There was a 26-minute delay before he was transported to the emergency room at the centre, even though he was just across the street from the hospital's street-level entrance. The report does not place the blame on anyone, and hints at remedial action, including more guidelines, management initiatives and training for staff about dealing with... https://www.scmp.com/article/666088/guidelines-wont-change-indifference-strangers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/666088/guidelines-wont-change-indifference-strangers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000 The sure things in life are death and taxes. To that you can add: flu seasons. So the problems encountered by the Hong Kong government during the recent flu outbreak will recur, over and over again. The government was criticised for announcing the closure of primary schools and kindergartens in an apparently arbitrary and poorly timed manner. Perhaps, instead, all the experts should get together and establish an indicator, be it a 5 per cent or 10 per cent absenteeism rate for students and staff... https://www.scmp.com/article/632075/outbreak-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/632075/outbreak-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 I am going to say something politically incorrect towards the end of the column, but first let me wade into the health care finance debate. We are all familiar with Hong Kong's problem. I believe the solution is two-pronged: first, apportion more of the health care burden to the private sector by reducing some non-emergency and highly specialised services in public hospitals; and second, change the public mindset from 'entitlement' to 'user pays'. The Bauhinia Foundation's plan for a... https://www.scmp.com/article/606246/health-care-those-who-can-pay-will-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/606246/health-care-those-who-can-pay-will-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The Chinese saying, wealth weakens the body, explains why, growing up in the 1960s, I had never heard of healthy people going for a medical check-up, while today health checks are common practice. It is a good thing. Instead of depending on health-care professionals to fix the problem when something goes wrong, one should take charge of one's own body. In many western countries, it is not uncommon to find individuals armed with loads of information gathered from the internet on a... https://www.scmp.com/article/592221/first-doctors-should-take-their-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/592221/first-doctors-should-take-their-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 May 2007 16:00:00 +0000 The Medical Council recently lambasted medical insurance companies for imposing on doctors 'inhumane' contract conditions that are against medical ethics and patients' interests. These conditions include restrictions on return visits, referrals to specialists and clinical laboratories, and dispensing medication for more than five days. These restrictions are meant to mould the way doctors practise medicine to suit the company's bottom line rather than patients' needs, and are characteristic of... https://www.scmp.com/article/559774/curing-sick-insurance-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/559774/curing-sick-insurance-system?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:00:00 +0000 What surprises me most about the $629 million offer by the Hospital Authority to settle a dispute over on-call work during holidays is that even senior doctors - the best-paid public-system doctors in the world - are also entitled to the compensation. The doctors claimed that the lawsuit was not about money, but the protracted problem of excessively long hours. In my opinion, the real reason behind it is unequal pay: inequality is always a more powerful catalyst for discontent than other... https://www.scmp.com/article/553834/it-all-comes-down-unequal-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/553834/it-all-comes-down-unequal-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:00:00 +0000 The debate over whether medical practitioners should be allowed to advertise is on. So allow me to let you in on a little secret: doctors in Hong Kong have already been doing it. The Medical Council has rules laid out in the Code of Practice, or 'red book'. It says: 'Self-advertisement, canvassing or publicity to enhance or promote a professional reputation for the purpose of attracting patients would constitute professional misconduct.' If any of these rules are flaunted or infringed upon... https://www.scmp.com/article/513609/medical-genius-well-his-mum-says-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/513609/medical-genius-well-his-mum-says-so?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:00:00 +0000 One of the health-care reforms proposed by the Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee is to train more family doctors. The concept of family medicine is not new. As shown in old Hollywood movies, the family doctor would be there in the home during all important occasions, including the birth of a child, the death of a family member and even at Christmas. However, a doctor as a family friend is alien to Hong Kong culture. When I was a medical student, it was not uncommon to witness... https://www.scmp.com/article/510644/building-trust-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/510644/building-trust-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Aug 2005 16:00:00 +0000 During my specialist training in the United States in the 1970s, my competency in practising western medicine was constantly suspect because I graduated from a medical school in the orient. Such professional prejudice was widespread and understandable, given that we were foreigners in a country with claims of being the most advanced in medicine, science and technology. I must admit that in those days, being a medical graduate of the University of Hong Kong was more a hang-up for me than a... https://www.scmp.com/article/505419/stake-schools-good-name?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/505419/stake-schools-good-name?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:00:00 +0000 A smoking ban in bars, restaurants and other indoor commercial facilities is a foregone conclusion. Our tough-talking health chief, York Chow Yat-ngok, is determined to ban smoking in all public workplaces, with no exceptions. There are many issues on the anti-smoking crusaders' agenda, but it seems that the most pressing one in Hong Kong at present is passive smoking. Like every other issue associated with smoking, this debate is emotive and vitriolic. In Dr Chow's words: 'Second-hand... https://www.scmp.com/article/503669/help-smokers-dont-hate-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/503669/help-smokers-dont-hate-them?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2005 16:00:00 +0000 Every doctor agrees that continuing medical education (CME) is good and any decision on it should be easy. But money and politics play a part in health care, even for such a fundamental issue. Specialists, including many in private practice, have been, for years, clocking up their CME credits as required by the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. Doctors with the Hospital Authority and the two medical schools are in an academic environment where CME is a way of life. That leaves about 4,600... https://www.scmp.com/article/479551/dont-hurt-public-trust-doctors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/479551/dont-hurt-public-trust-doctors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:00:00 +0000 IAM not a Christian and have never been, but Christianity did me a lot of good during my formative years. That is why Christmas always brings back childhood memories. When I was a little boy, our neighbour Mrs Chan was the quintessential pragmatic Hong Kong person. She worshipped all sorts of Buddhist gods, but became a Catholic as soon as the neighbourhood church started giving out free food. Not that it did her any good. Most times they gave her cheese which she thought was soap. She... https://www.scmp.com/article/266620/when-religion-quickest-route-earthly-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/266620/when-religion-quickest-route-earthly-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 1998 16:00:00 +0000 THE old man who guards our building is finally retiring. I heard it form the horse's mouth yesterday when I left home for work. I was pleasantly surprised when he greeted me with a 'good morning' - and it was not even close to Lunar New Year yet. (Throughout the years he would only become friendly in the week before New Year - for the lai see.) He told me a new piece of legislation had forced him to retire because of his age, and next month would be his last. I have mixed feelings about his... https://www.scmp.com/article/265741/guard-chances-profit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/265741/guard-chances-profit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Dec 1998 16:00:00 +0000 IN MANY ways, life was easier in my parents' day. When I was a child, our neighbour Mr Chan used to say: 'I don't have time to get sick.' Good old Mr Chan never took sick leave in his life and worked until the day he died. Nowadays, Hong Kong people are more affluent and hence more health-conscious. As the Chinese saying goes: 'More money; more medical problems.' When you do not have to worry about a roof over your head and food on the table, you will worry about not living long enough to... https://www.scmp.com/article/259127/when-lifes-too-short-get-sick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/259127/when-lifes-too-short-get-sick?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 1998 16:00:00 +0000 I HAVE joined a gym. There is nothing wrong with my body, just that my weight needs a bit of redistribution - from my midriff to my chest and shoulders. All right, I will be honest. Another reason I joined is that it is in a hotel, and the membership fee covers three hours of free parking. Now I can lift weights for one hour, and then lift beer bottles for the next two in the bar downstairs. The trainer there is a tough gal. Last time I forgot to put the magazine back into the rack she went... https://www.scmp.com/article/254965/i-much-prefer-bar-without-bells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/254965/i-much-prefer-bar-without-bells?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 1998 16:00:00 +0000 AN insurance broker has to be a good actor and manipulator to be successful. The world then becomes his oyster. I bought some life insurance from a friend of a friend's relative about a year ago. Not that I needed it, but I was held to ransom by the slick operator. I told him I did not need any life insurance now that my children were old enough to look after themselves, and that I had a few bucks tucked away for my funeral when the inevitable happened to me. He said: 'You still need some... https://www.scmp.com/article/248622/hard-sell-becomes-question-your-money-or-your-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/248622/hard-sell-becomes-question-your-money-or-your-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 1998 16:00:00 +0000 ISTILL vividly remember the day in a New York Chinatown restaurant, many years ago, when a customer screamed bloody murder and almost fainted when a cockroach crawled across the table. Imagine, for a small thing like that. In my experience, when people who have never had to go hungry find bugs in their restaurant food - more often than not, a Chinese eatery - they become hysterical. They refuse to return to the restaurant, lose their appetite, and demand a refund. This reminds me of a... https://www.scmp.com/article/246984/dont-let-insects-bug-you-about-your-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/246984/dont-let-insects-bug-you-about-your-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 1998 16:00:00 +0000 WHAT can you get for the man who has everything, in a backwater place like Saipan that you cannot obtain in Japan? The answer: a gun with real bullets. That is the niche market someone has discovered. Billboards everywhere advertise 'Real Bullet Shooting' in Japanese. I saw one across from my hotel room and stayed up all night debating, should I or shouldn't I? Finally, common sense prevailed. Like learning to swear and losing virginity, handling firearms is a manhood thing we men must... https://www.scmp.com/article/246163/being-man-and-biting-bullet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/246163/being-man-and-biting-bullet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 1998 16:00:00 +0000 I ALMOST died the other day at a wine tasting party - not from drinking, but from embarrassment. I made the mistake of bringing Willie along. It all started when I told my wine merchant friend that the rave in China nowadays is mixing red wine with soda pop. It would have been fine if the wine used was plonk, but in order to give face, sometimes they use Petrus or Lafitte. My friend, the wine aficionado, almost choked on his cabernet sauvignon, and said that a little wine education for my... https://www.scmp.com/article/241025/wine-evening-leaves-bad-taste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/241025/wine-evening-leaves-bad-taste?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 1998 16:00:00 +0000 THE best way to judge the property market in Hong Kong is to observe the behaviour of real estate agents. Though slick and slimy, by nature or nurture, they are quite easy to read. Simply ask them for a discount on the commission, and see what happens. In good times, they turn up their noses and move on to the next customer. When things are not going well, they keep talking. I had to help a non-Cantonese speaking friend find a place to live around Hollywood Road. He had tried Mid-Levels, but... https://www.scmp.com/article/240162/search-flat-lesson-live-and-let-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/240162/search-flat-lesson-live-and-let-live?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 1998 16:00:00 +0000 When I meet someone who speaks a foreign language, I always ask him or her about all the four-letter words in that language. After years of 'research', I have reached the conclusion that, when it comes to swearing, the Cantonese have no equals. Like everything else in Cantonese, the swear words are vulgar but apt. Let me give you some examples. While people from most countries would settle for insulting just you, a Cantonese man insults your mother. In saying that, it is implied that he could... https://www.scmp.com/article/235085/world-class-tongue-twisters-swear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/235085/world-class-tongue-twisters-swear?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 1998 16:00:00 +0000 You know how they always say: opposites attract. It can be so true. I am married to a cat lover. I am a sensitive man. I try to be nice to old people, children, and animals, but I just cannot get too excited or affectionate about cats. You have heard them all before: you ask a dog, 'Do you love me?' The dog will immediately say, 'Yes, yes, yes.' You ask a cat the same thing, the cat will not even look at you while mumbling, 'I have to think about that one. I'll get back to you in a week or... https://www.scmp.com/article/234210/second-fiddle-cats-whiskers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/234210/second-fiddle-cats-whiskers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 1998 16:00:00 +0000 It has been said that Hong Kong is run by the Jockey Club, the Hong Kong Bank and the Governor, in that order. Horse racing is serious business in Hong Kong. Consider the amount of money involved - some HK$770 million of punters' money every racing day, two days per week, nine months a year. Most of the astronomical profits made by the Jockey Club go back to the community in all kinds of charity. I ought to know; my contributions have probably covered the cost of two orphanages and three elderly... https://www.scmp.com/article/229876/portrait-diehard-punter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/229876/portrait-diehard-punter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 1998 16:00:00 +0000