r Eddie Chow is the first rehabilitation physician joining Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) and the New Territories West Cluster (NTWC). However, it was his commitment and success in quality and efficient service, rather than his seniority, which enabled him to be awarded as one of this year's Outstanding Staff Members.

Dr Chow joined NTWC in 2003. He established the Cluster Rehabilitation Stroke Unit (RSU) in Pok Oi Hospital in the same year. With strong leadership skills and extensive collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Dr Chow has enhanced the efficiency of stroke rehabilitation remarkably. The service volume of the NTWC RSU doubled within one year of its establishment and has become one of the most efficient rehabilitation centres in Hong Kong.

Through his successful teamwork with NGOs in 2004, Dr Chow pioneered a cardiac rehabilitation service model which turned a public gymnasium into a patient-training centre. Cardiac patients received initial rehabilitation at TMH and then in the Yan Oi Tong Community Fitness Centre. Afterwards, graduates might join the Centre as members, who could enjoy both low fees and unlimited entries to continue life-long exercises there. Apart from creating a cost-effective service model, Dr Chow has also brought out the ideal of rehabilitation by transforming hospital treatment into life-long enjoyment and patients into sportsmen.

To advance visceral rehabilitation in the era of globalisation, Dr Chow also explores expertise development in the field even further. Thanks to his team efforts, the Rehabilitation Centre in TMH, which opened three years ago, has now become the first in Hong Kong, and the second in Asia, to receive accreditation as an American College of Sports Medicine approved provider of continuing education for its professionals. The achievement has helped our city consolidate the leading status in professional training and development in related areas of rehabilitation and exercise medicine.
 

We all have 24 hours a day. Dr Chow is no different. Yet he definitely uses his time exceptionally well. Apart from being a devoted clinician, Dr Chow has demonstrated himself as a good citizen by saving lives in accidents. He also has extensive voluntary commitments. He is a professional advisor to various NGOs including the Community Rehabilitation Network, and an advisory member of the Rehabilitation Committee of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation. Believe it or not, he is also a voluntary acupuncturist!

Last but certainly most importantly, Dr Chow would like to thank all his NTWC colleagues and NGO partners who have been working so hard these years to make the rehabilitation dreams of the residents in the district come true one by one.