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Newsletter September 1998

The President’s Message
Report of Visit to Beijing/Shanghai
List of Approved Training Posts in Anaesthesiology
List of Approved Training Posts in Intensive Care
Vocational Training Guide in Anaesthesiology
Vocational Training in Intensive Care Training
Vocational Training in Diploma in Pain Management
Continuing Medical Education
Exit Assessment
Examination Successes
New Fellows and Members
Hospital News & Announcements

 

Message From The President 

Hong Kong is having a tough time struggling along with the recession in economy. It affects everyone, but life just goes on as usual. Prolonged recession certainly will have an impact on organisations like our College. However, there might be opportunities too, especially when we are in the process of employing a full time administrative assistant. This administrative assistant should be in position when we moved into the new College chamber at Academy’s headquarters building at Wong Chuk Hang in October. With our usual careful and tight budgeting practices, the adverse effect of the recession should be minimised.

In relation to the recession, the number of registrants for the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine First International Congress is still very disappointing, especially in relation to the total number of Academy Fellows in Hong Kong. Academy is seeking the co-operative efforts of all Colleges to help out by encouraging more Fellows to register for the Congress. It is our view that Colleges have to support the Academy, just like College Fellows supporting their own College. Apart from the plenary lecture on pain and the symposium on pain management, our College has also put up a satellite symposium on Difficult Airway Management. Congress brochures have been circulated to all of you earlier. Please act promptly. Do be reminded that our own Annual Scientific Meeting will be held on 5th-6th December. Your support is also very much needed for the ASM 98.

A delegation with representatives from both the College and Society visited Society of Anaesthetists in Beijing and Shanghai in June. This was the first official visit from Hong Kong and the delegation met leading anaesthesiologists in Beijing and Shanghai during their week of stay. This is considered an extremely worthwhile visit whereby both China and Hong Kong anaesthesiologists got to know each other better. A seminar discussion was held in Shanghai on the training of anaesthesiologists. The delegation has received invitations to join the coming National Scientific Meeting which will be held at Hangzhou next May. Hangzhou should be quite beautiful in May and definitely worth a visit. If more anaesthesiologists from Hong Kong could join these scientific meetings, our relationship with China could certainly be improved much further. A summary report of the visit is enclosed in this newsletter.

October is going to mark another new era for the College. The College Chambers at Academy Building will be ready for moving in. Bylaw 16 of the Academy will be rescinded. From then on all College Fellowship admissions will need a local element of assessment and / or training. The inaugural examination for Diploma in Pain Management will also be held in early October. All these will set the scene for our tenth anniversary next year. Council is looking into how we would celebrate such an occasion. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

 Dr CT Hung, President

 

Summary Report of Visit to Beijing / Shanghai, June 1998

Introduction
After the handover of sovereignty, Hong Kong becomes part of the one country, two systems of China. The Society of Anaesthetists of China, a sub-organisation under the Chinese Medical Association, undertakes some of the function presently served by our College. Although there have been unofficial contacts between anaesthesiologists in China and Hong Kong, official visits had not been made. This long awaited visit has got the clear objectives of improving mutual understandings and promoting interflow of expertise and enable the College to define her relation with Society of Anaesthetists of China.

The Visit
The delegation consisted of myself and Dr. TW Lee, First Vice-President of the College, Dr. WS Chan, Council Member and Pain Committee Secretary, Dr. CK Chan, President of Society, and Dr. KF Ng , Hon. Treasurer of Society, and Chairman of 1998 ASM in Anaesthesiology. We visited the Society of Anaesthetists of Chinese Medical Association in Beijing and Shanghai from 30th May to 6th June 1998. The delegation was greeted at Beijing International Airport by Prof. Luo Ai-lun, Chairperson of Society of Anaesthetists of Chinese Medical Association, and at Shanghai Airport by Prof. Sun Da-Jin, Chairman of Society of Anaesthetists, Shanghai branch of Chinese Medical Association. As this was the first official visit, two copies of the book of Neural Blockade by Cousins were purchased and two plaques were engraved for presentation to the two Societies.

During the stay in Beijing, the delegation visited two hospitals, namely Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the 301 PLA General Hospital. Dinner meetings were held with the leading members of PUMCH and the officials of Anaesthetic Society of China. The delegation also hosted a dinner in return. In Shanghai, the delegation visited the Ren Ji Hospital, Sixth Municipal Hospital and the Long March PLA Hospital. The delegation was also able to invite leading officials of the Shanghai Anaesthetic Society to dinner. On the last day of the Shanghai visit, a seminar discussion was held with the Shanghai Anaesthetic Society about Training of Anaesthesiologists at the Long March Hospital. It was followed by another glamorous dinner hosted by Shanghai Anaesthetic Society at the top floor of Long March Hospital.

Some Observations
Although this was a short visit, the delegation noted some differences in the practice of anaesthesiology in both places. This was reflected in the extensive use of regional anaesthesia which accounted for 40-50% of all anesthetics. There is a trend for more and more patients to demand general anaesthesia. The fee charging system is obviously quite different from Hong Kong. There is a heavy emphasis on research, especially in basic research in many of the hospitals visited. Publication in national journals is one of the promotion criteria from resident doctor to attending doctor.

Like Hong Kong, pain service is booming. Both intravenous PCA and epidermal are popular methods of post-operative pain relief. Sixth Municipal Hospital in Shanghai and a few other hospitals in Beijing where the delegation has no chance to visit are running good Pain Clinics. Both malignant and non-malignant chronic pain were taken care of. Again similar to Hong Kong, intensive care units have been under the care of different specialties. The delegation is also impressed about the equipment set-up in the hospitals visited. One of those has an Anaesthetic Information System in place connecting the Recovery Room with the Operating Rooms. .

 

Training of Anaesthesiologists in China
There is a training program for all disciplines in Shanghai co-ordinated by the local Health Department. This is a 5 year training program which has been started for a few years. An examination is required and questions were invited from Shanghai Society of Anaesthetists. Professional knowledge will be tested as well as proficiency in English and knowledge in politics. Knowledge on Information Technology is also required. At least one publication in a national Anaesthetic journal is required. Only a small percentage of candidates will not get through the examination or promotion exercise.

Apart from the 5 year postgraduate program, there are a few Medical Universities or Medical Colleges in China that offer a special undergraduate training curriculum for Anaesthetists. This is akin to undergraduate curriculum for dentistry. Medical students who have been selected into the undergraduate Anesthetist Curriculum will be diverted to study anaesthesia only in the fourth and final year of medical curriculum. After graduation, they can only practice as anesthetist and not as a general doctor. In the hospitals visited, there is no differentiation between these two kinds of Anaesthetists as far as career structure goes.

 

Conclusion
This visit to Beijing and Shanghai was certainly very worthwhile. We have made new friends in China. They have been invited to join our Annual Scientific Meetings and we were all invited to attend the next National Meeting to be held at Hangzhou next May, as well as the local annual meetings, like that in Shanghai in the coming November. More interactions along these lines, either in Hong Kong or in China, will certainly promote fraternity amongst anaesthesiologists between China and Hong Kong.

The visit has broadened our knowledge about anaesthesia, intensive care and pain management developments in China. This will allow College to formulate a better policy towards China in future. Finally I must thank all other members of the delegation for spending their precious time in joining this worthwhile visit.

 

Dr CT Hung on behalf of the delegation, June 1998

 

 

ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS AND FELLOWS 

8 June 1998

Members
Dr WAI, Chor Keung
Dr KU, Shu Wing

Fellows in Anaesthesiology ad eundum
Dr HO, Kwok Ming

Fellows in Intensive Care ad eundum
Dr HO, Kwok Ming

 

13 July 1998

Members
Dr CHOI, Wing Yee Regina
Dr CHAU, Chin Man
Dr OOI, Gek Beng Richard
Dr GREENLAND, Keith Benjamin

Fellows in Anaesthesiology by examination
Dr LI, Tak Lai Theresa

Fellows in Anaesthesiology ad eundum
Dr OOI, Gek Beng Richard
Dr GREENLAND, Keith Benjamin

 

27 August 1998

Members
Dr LIU, Kwok Kuen
Dr CHONG, Kam On
Dr LEE, Yeuk Ying Samantha
Dr NELSON, Philip David
Dr GOMERSALL, Charles David
Dr SANDERS, Graeme Moffatt

Fellows in Anaesthesiology by examination
Dr LUI, Kim Ching

Fellows in Anaesthesiology ad eundum
Dr WAI, Sin Yi Angela
Dr Sanders, Graeme Moffatt
Dr GOMERSALL, Charles David

 

HOSPITAL NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENT 

Dr SL Tsui
Doctor of Medicine, University of Hong Kong
Thesis: " Postoperative Analgesia in Chinese Patients: An In Depth Analysis of Postoperative Pain Management in Queen Mary Hospital of Hong Kong."

Dr TS Sze
COS, North District Hospital

Dr Agnes Cheng
Consultant, Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital

Dr SK Ng
Consultant, Prince of Wales Hospital

 Dr TY Chan
Consultant, Yan Chai Hospital

 Dr KW Au Yeung
Consultant, Queen Elizabeth Hospital