Fully committed to saving lives from heart

Dr Thomas Fung Tai-hang
Consultant (Ear, Nose & Throat)
Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital

The outbreak of SARS in 2003 made the then intern at ward 8A Dr Thomas Fung a patient, a switch in role that allowed him to understand the needs of patients even better and constituted his present self – a doctor who spares no effort in saving lives.

“I’ll always remember the heartfelt warmth from the simple greeting my attending doctor and mentor, Prof Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, gave me every day when I was in severe conditions. It also reminds me of a principle I shall uphold – heal from the heart. My vision of being a doctor is that I don’t care about the number of surgeries have done or money. The most important is giving a patient the only chance to live,” he says.

How committed is Dr Fung to saving lives? He once rushed back to the hospital when he was on call to operate on a patient of tonsil cancer who had sudden bleeding and was under the danger of suffocation in the midnight, after which he stayed behind till the conditions of the patient stabilised. He also worked as a part-time doctor at the Accident & Emergency Department of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital to absorb experiences while enjoying the quest for knowledge beyond his own speciality. Moreover, he takes a five-day leave every year in summer since 2012 to teach at his mother school, “I analyse and share real cases with my juniors, which I believe would also be a great way to learn and consolidate my own expertise.”

Dr Fung has completed several hundred major head and neck surgeries, including head and neck tumour excision, and free flap transfer, most of which he could finish in half of the expected time, which is how he earned himself the name of ‘the most efficient surgeon’ from his colleagues. However, he still felt immensely stressed when he was to carry out surgery of paranasal sinus on his close friend at university who is now a pathology doctor. “I was afraid of losing a good friend in case of any slips. The surgery was concluded smoothly and my friend is currently under recovery; I’m just really glad that I can save the life of someone I’m close to.”

He emphasises,“We should take up our courage and go all in to save lives when we’re able to.”