Editorial | Manslaughter counts against doctors raise uncomfortable truths in Hong Kong
- Faced with an overwhelmed public healthcare system, Hongkongers seeking better care may soon have to discuss how much they are willing to pay
Reports of medical blunders are, thankfully, relatively few and far between in Hong Kong’s comprehensive healthcare sector. The consequences can be serious or even tragic for all concerned.
Blunders are, rightly, subject to review under established procedures, possible disciplinary action and measures to prevent a recurrence. There are no winners from this process, except that the lessons learned may enhance patient safety and protect us all.
Occasionally circumstances set an incident apart. A case in point is to be found in charges of manslaughter laid against two public hospital doctors over the death of a kidney and liver patient, which have prompted health minister Lo Chung-mau and Hospital Authority (HA) chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling to express concerns about the feelings of medical professionals.
Lo said he understood the worries of doctors that they may inadvertently break the law while providing everyday treatment, adding that this would affect the sector’s professional development and overall service efficiency.
It is for the courts to rule whether such a serious charge is warranted. The case will be closely followed, given that most patients use the public health system. It was unprecedented for police to arrest and charge the two HA doctors over the death in 2017 of a 44-year-old woman treated at United Christian Hospital for kidney disease, who later died in Queen Mary Hospital from liver failure, allegedly after procedures they performed.
The Medical Council had already found the pair guilty of professional misconduct and imposed suspended deregistration penalties. The question now is whether doctors can be held criminally liable for a patient’s death.
