Honorary Fellow Dr TO Wing Kee William (2021)

Dr TO Wing Kee William graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1985. After completing his internship, he started his career in obstetrics and gynaecology at Tsan Yuk Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital. He obtained Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in 1990, Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine in 1993, and Fellowship of our College and RCOG in 2002. He joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, United Christian Hospital as Consultant in 1999, and served as the Cluster Chief of Service of Kowloon East Cluster in 2014 until he retired in 2021.

Dr TO’s academic achievements were outstanding, yet most of the research and studies were carried out when he was working in a service unit. He had more than 150 publications in books and journals. He obtained his Master of Philosophy (M Phil) in Clinical Sciences (Orthopaedics & Traumatology) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2004 with the thesis titled “Bone mineral density in exercising and non-exercising young females – the impact of menstrual dysfunction”. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the University of Hong Kong in 2011, and the MD thesis was “Use of quantitative ultrasound for assessment of bone mineral density changes in pregnancy and its relationship to pregnancy and perinatal characteristics”. His research focus in recent years on the use of intrauterine balloon tamponade for management of severe postpartum haemorrhage to reduce the need for peripartum hysterectomy also carried significant clinical impact.

Dr TO had served our specialty and the College in various capacities for two decades with substantial contributions. He joined the Maternal and Fetal Medicine (MFM) Subspecialty Board at its foundation in 2006 as a board member and the Secretary, and has been the Chairman since 2015. Despite the MFM Board having the largest number of subspecialty trainees, he made it a rule for himself that he would chair all exit assessments so as to ensure that all trainees are assessed fairly with comparable standards. He also introduced an ‘observer system’ for younger MFM consultants who are to become prospective examiners to familiarize themselves with the format and standards of the assessment.

Joining the Research Subcommittee in 2001, and serving as the Chairman since 2016, Dr TO has put a lot of effort in upholding the quality of trainees’ researches and assisting them to fulfill the research requirements. He also served as the Editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Midwifery (HKJGOM), the official journal of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Hong Kong (OGSHK) and the only local O&G journal. When he became the Editor-in-Chief since 2015, he made every effort to upgrade the journal from annual to bi-annual publication. This journal serves a very important purpose of allowing trainees to publish their manuscripts to meet the exit examination requirements. In order to facilitate trainees to publish, and to meet the deadline for their Exit assessment, he has offered fast track processing for their submissions, as well as editorial support, including language assistance, statistical advice, technical suggestions for data presentation, from which many previous trainees have benefitted.

The Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) course, jointly run by our College and the College of Emergency Medicine since 2003, is an essential part of our basic training. Prior to the launch of the course, Dr TO was appointed by the then President Dr LC Ho to liaise with the College of Emergency Medicine and ALSO International for the foundation of ALSO in Hong Kong. He then became the Founding Secretary and the Chairman for two separate terms, for a total of 9 years. Under his leadership, the content and format of the course were revamped according to local practices, benefiting over a thousand O&G trainees, Emergency Medicine trainees and midwives throughout the years. The ALSO course is now essential training for our trainees as well as recognized by the Department of Health for accreditation of obstetric practice licensing.

Besides all his recognizable contributions, he has also set an example for our trainees that professional training includes not only skills and knowledge but also scientific thinking.

Not so well known to many of us is his passion for wine. He gave a lecture ‘My Wine, My World’ to the department when he retired, sharing his passion with analogies between wine and his life. My toast to Dr TO, I believe his professional life tastes ‘full yet refined, rich yet elegant, balanced and with a smooth finish’, like a fine aged Bordeaux wine.

Mr President, it is my honour and pleasure to present Dr TO Wing Kee William, for the Honorary Fellowship of The Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Dr LAM Wai Cheung
at the conferment ceremony in 2021