Page 4 - CUHK MEDICAL ALUMNI Newsletter Issue 2 Vol 2 2015

FEATURES
03

OUR LEADERS...

hey are the crème de la crème of the CUHK medical alumni who dared to be different – a doctor turned
Tpolitician, an administrator, a team builder and a charity events organiser. These four leaders exemplify what
CUHK medical education is all about - paving one’s own way and helping society. We talk to them to find out about
their dreams and what they have achieved so far…

DOCTOR PROVES WHITE COAT AND

LEGCO CAN GO HAND IN HAND

“The medical education at CUHK encouraged students
to think out of the box, and not be bound by traditions.”

中大醫學院銳意創新，鼓勵學生突破傳統。

- Dr Hon Leung Ka-lau

(梁家騮醫生 , MBChB 1986)

r Hon Leung Ka-lau is the the Food Safety and Environmental
DLegislative Council’s (Legco) Hygiene panel. He is also involved in the
medical sector representative. He Economic and Development as well as
was the first public hospital doctor to Public Service panels.
be elected to the seat in 2008 after
beating three other candidates. He In addition to the formal meetings,
resigned from the public sector in Dr Leung says he will do his own
2010 and is now a private medical research into various topics. “We
practitioner. Again in the 2012 can’t completely depend on the
elections, Dr Leung managed to government. We have to come up Dr Leung dedicates his chosen path as
retain his Legco seat. with our own proposals.” doctor-cum-legislator to his early years
at CUHK. “The medical education at
But don’t call him a politician. “I am When approaching issues, Dr CUHK encouraged students to think
not a politician,” he insists. “Just call Leung says he tends to look at them out of the box, and not be bound by
me a Legco member.” dispassionately. “I am a scientific man. traditions. We were taught to always try
I will study the data first and then
A typical “Legco” day for Dr Leung scientifically analyse them.” something new.”
begins with the formal meetings in “So when I became a Legco member
the Legislative Council. On many Dr Leung says he is mainly interested in I also adopted a similar approach - to
occasions, Dr Leung will stay in health-related policy issues such as the think out of the box.”
his office on the 8th floor of the review of the public medical services
Legco building - and listen to the and the Health Protection Scheme. Dr Leung says he has no regrets about
proceedings on TV. At the same joining the political arena. But he
time he would also discuss with his The legislator has to juggle between admits one of his biggest challenges
Legco assistants his agenda for the Legco meetings, attending events is to advocate change of policies
rest of the day. and seeing patients. “Because I now without actual executive power under
work in the private sector, most of my Hong Kong’s current political system.
Dr Leung has joined six panels and cases are not that urgent. So I can Asked why he decided to become
committees. He is deputy chairman of usually choose a time that works for a Legco member, Dr Leung would
the Health Services panel; the Chairman both myself and my patients.” And, only say: “I felt at the time, in 2008,
of the Subcommittee on Health Dr Leung still does some part-time it was appropriate for me to join the
Protection Scheme and a member of work for the Prince of Wales Hospital. election.” He took a gamble and won.