A devoted journey in three decades
Dr Joseph ChungDeputy Hospital Chief Executive / Consultant (Surgery)
Tung Wah Hospital
Working in surgery for 33 years, Dr Joseph Chung reviewed his career and concluded: the first decade as a doctor is to learn and undergo training, then moving on to enhance his expertise in a specific field, and eventually to share the knowledge and contribute to the society as one completes a twenty-year journey in his medical career.
In retrospect, the greatest gain for Dr Chung was the essence of observation and the spirit to always put forward for patients, as the saying goes, ‘a straw shows which way the wind blows’. Back in 1998 when he joined Tung Wah Hospital, during his ward rounds he realised a number of the elderly patients were suffering from pressure ulcers, however not much assistance could be offered due to the resource constraint. He then used donation funding to purchase and provide pressure relief mattress for high-risk patients in order to prevent them from having bedsores. Moreover, he has been reaching out to relevant doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and nutritionists to jointly provide wound care training since 2004 with a view to passing on the knowledge to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.
Every surgery tells a story. Dr Chung recalled a female patient whose face was severely burnt in a fire, and looked particularly depressed despite the evident recovery of her physical condition. Later it was learnt that she did not only lose her job, but was divorced by her husband. In this light, Dr Chung realised the importance of psychological support for the patient to overcome the ordeal. “The end of the surgery also signifies the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life. Although postoperative care is vital for the prevention of complication, the rehabilitation and emotions of the patients are equally important,” Dr Chung explains.
Stepping into the fourth decade of his career, Dr Chung is keen to share his expertise and experience in treating burns, traumatic wounds, cleft lip and palate, as well as face or breast reconstruction surgery. “I used to feel the satisfaction from completing a surgery, but now it is even more rewarding to see my juniors succeeding in a complex operation.”