Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ13: Liver Transplant Centre

Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (April 16):

Question:

It has been reported that the efficiency of the liver transplant team of the liver transplant centre of the Queen Mary Hospital, which was formed by teaching staff of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and doctors of the Hospital Authority (HA), has dropped as a result of the resignation of some of the team's doctors due to staff disputes which had arisen earlier. There have been comments that as the team is the only liver transplant service provider in Hong Kong, the above incident will have a long-term impact on Hong Kong's liver transplant service. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether the Government will urge HKU and HA to give an account of the above incident;

(b) given that it has been reported that the above staff disputes involved the Head of the Department of Surgery, local and expatriate doctors, as well as faults in liver transplant surgeries, whether the Government knows how HKU ensures that doctors who are local graduates have sufficient opportunities to receive training and gain sufficient clinical experience, in order to handle the work of the liver transplant team;

(c) given that the above liver transplant centre is currently the only liver transplant service provider in Hong Kong, what contingency measures will be adopted by the authorities upon disruption of the centre's normal service due to emergency, personnel or other factors to ensure that the impact of such incidents on the public will be minimised; and

(d) whether the Government has formulated any long-term plan to facilitate the training of health care staff who provide liver transplant service?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) Liver transplants in the Liver Transplant Centre of the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) are currently performed by the Liver Transplant Team under the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Division. Staff changes of the Liver Transplant Team are internal matters of the University of Hong Kong and the Hospital Authority (HA). We do not comment on individual cases of staff changes.

(b) The Liver Transplant Centre of QMH is a world-renowned surgical centre and there are from time to time overseas doctors coming to the Centre to undergo practical training. At present, doctors undergoing training in the Liver Transplant Centre include those doctors under specialist training. Through engaging in liver transplant operations under the personal guidance of professors or consultants, they can acquire the necessary expertise, experience and skills for becoming liver transplant professionals.

(c) Before the liver transplant operations in HA are centralised in QMH, the overall survival rate of HA's liver transplant patients at one year post transplant was 83%. Since QMH became the only Liver Transplant Centre in Hong Kong in 2003, HA has been able to consolidate its relevant resources and expertise at a single location. This has not only facilitated the co-ordination and performance of liver transplants, but also allowed the transplant team to continuously accumulate more valuable experience. So far, the liver transplant centre of QMH has completed over 619 liver transplants. Since each operation is led by professors or consultants in person, the overall patient survival rate at one year after transplant is 95%, which is at the top-tier level internationally. Hence, it can be seen that the current arrangement has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of liver transplant operations.

Over the past five years, the Liver Transplant Centre performed 52 to 76 liver transplant operations each year. As at January 2008, there are in total around 11 full-time equivalent doctors in the hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery team with seven of them attached to the liver transplant team. The team is assisted by other doctors under training and doctors in other specialties (such as intensive care and anaesthesiology etc). HA has always been able to ensure that the centre has sufficient manpower and experienced personnel for conducting liver transplant operations to meet service demands. In addition, the Central Co-ordinating Committee on Surgical Services of HA reviews the operation of the Liver Transplant Centre from time to time to ensure the smooth operation of the centre.

(d) The achievements of the Liver Transplant Centre of QMH have been well recognised internationally. The centre will continue its efforts to provide training for healthcare personnel and specialist doctors on liver transplant operations in order to meet the service needs in Hong Kong and maintain good clinical outcome of the operations. Meanwhile, we will step up promotional efforts on organ donation to enhance public awareness of the importance of organ donation and nurture a social culture which embraces the notion of voluntary organ donation.


Ends/Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:56

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