Cardiologist Wong Kwok-yiu struck off for six months
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Medical Council has ruled that cardiologist Wong Kwok-yiu (王國耀) committed professional misconduct by reusing a catheter designed for single use during a procedure at a private hospital in October 2010. The inquiry panel ordered that he be removed from the general register for six months and decided the penalty should take immediate effect.
Key Points
- The case concerned an electrophysiology examination or radiofrequency ablation procedure performed in October 2010 at a private hospital, where three catheters were used and one was found to be a reused device after it fractured.
- The manufacturer had labelled the catheter for single use only, while the Hospital Authority had already classified radiofrequency ablation catheters as high-risk devices in 2006 and banned their reuse.
- The Department of Health later issued a code of practice in April 2010 stating that single-use medical devices must not be reused, and the prosecution said reuse was no longer a common local practice from 2006 onward.
- Inquiry panel chair and Medical Council chairperson Tang Wai-king said Wong had claimed the reuse was meant to save the patient money, but he had not obtained the patient’s consent before the operation.
- Tang said the panel was surprised the defence still argued Wong had merely followed hospital practice, and concluded that stance showed a lack of remorse or reflection, making a suspended order inappropriate.
Why It Matters
The ruling underlines that a doctor’s personal professional duty is not displaced by hospital practice, especially where high-risk single-use devices are involved. It also reinforces the importance of informed consent in private healthcare decisions affecting patient safety and cost.