Honorary Fellow Professor HO Pak Chung (2009)

Professor HO Pak Chung graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1974 with distinction in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and was awarded the Gordon King Prize. He underwent training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Mary Hospital and obtained the MRCOG in 1979.

He underwent one year of research training at the Flinders University of South Australia with the World Health organization Research Training Fellowship, then received further training in reproductive medicine at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. He was accredited by the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine. He obtained his MD degree in 1992 at the University of Hong Kong and is currently Chair Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at The University of Hong Kong.

His research interests are in Reproductive Medicine especially in the areas of medical abortion, emergency contraception, subfertility treatment, ovarian stimulation and endometrial receptivity. His group is the first one to demonstrate the rapid onset of action and the increased bioavailability of misoprostol after sublingual administration, as well as its clinical applications. Their studies have helped to improve the regimens of medical abortion. In the area of emergency contraception, his team is the first group in the world to show that levonorgestrel is an effective method of emergency contraception with a lower incidence of side effects than the standard regimen of combined pills and levonorgestrel is now accepted as the standard method of emergency contraception worldwide. Professor HO has published more than 330 papers in peer-reviewed journals. As Principal Investigator, he has been awarded many grants including the Research grant Council GRF research grants and grants by other bodies like World Health Organization. He was invited to give lectures in many local, national and international meetings. In 2007, he was invited to give two prestigious named lectures, the William Meredith Fletcher Shaw Memorial Lecture in the 31st British International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in London and the CT Hsu Memorial Lecture, at the XXth Asian and Oceanic Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tokyo, Japan.

Professir HO is an excellent teacher. He has all along been involved in undergraduate teaching. The evaluation scores given by the students are often above the departmental average. Our teaching has been rated very highly by the medical students and there were many comments from them that other departments should also use our methods.

Professor HO is an excellent clinician. He was the Head of Reproductive Medicine Division at Queen Mary Hospital since its establishment in 1986. His assisted reproduction program is currently one of the largest programs in Hong Kong. The pregnancy rates are comparable to those of the best centres in the world. His team has introduced a number of new techniques (intracytoplasmic sperm injection and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) to Hong Kong and they are the first group in Hong Kong to achieve live-births with these new techniques.

He has served as the Chief of Service in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Mary Hospital between 1995 and 2009. He has also served as the Cluster Chief of Service in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Hong Kong West Cluster till end of March 2009.

Professor HO is an excellent administrator. He has served in many committees and working groups in the Department, the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and the University of Hong Kong. He has served as Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from July 1995 to December 2008. During his tenure, the research output of the Department has progressively increased. The undergraduate program has undergone many revisions and we have received very favourable evaluation by the students. The Department has established three subspecialty training programs: gynaecological oncology, reproductive medicine and maternal and fetal medicine. He has also served as Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs) in the Faculty of Medicine since 2001.

Professor HO also has been serving our community and profession with all dedication. He has served in many government committees, statutory bodies, non-government organizations and professional bodies. Among these positions, the most important include President of The Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Chairman and President of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Chairman of the World Health Organization Research Group on Post-ovulatory Methods of Fertility regulation, Chairman of ESEAO Regional Council of International Planned Parenthood Federation, President of Asia Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Chairman of Scientific Program Committee of World Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2006

His expertise is well recognized internationally. He was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the RANZCOG recently.

Mr President, I would like to present Professor HO Pak Chung to you as Honorary Fellow of the HKCOG.

Professor Hextan NGAN
at the conferment ceremony in 2009