{"id":15532,"date":"2024-06-12T11:45:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T03:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/?post_type=media_news&p=15532"},"modified":"2024-06-13T17:40:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T09:40:22","slug":"elementor-15532","status":"publish","type":"media_news","link":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/media_news\/a10-bosco\/elementor-15532\/","title":{"rendered":"[Hong Kong Economic Journal. Heartfelt Words] Publicly Treating Children's \"Secrets\" | Paediatrician Dr. Chan Yan Wing | 2024-06-05"},"content":{"rendered":"
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[Hong Kong Economic Journal. Benevolent Hearts, Benevolent Words] Paediatrician Dr. Chan Yan Wing | The \"Secret\" to Openly Communicating with Children | 2024-06-05\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When a child is ill or unhappy, the parents worry the most, of course. Paediatric specialist Dr. Chan Yan-wing believes that paediatricians should \"put themselves in others' shoes,\" communicate more with parents, and understand the child's situation, acting like \"detectives\" to find the real root of their discomfort. \"Besides treating children, parents' worries are our biggest concern. Because you are treating a person, not a tool, you must focus on the patient's feelings.\"

Cheerful and talkative Chan Yan Yung has a \"secret\" for dealing with children. \"I really enjoy communicating with children and playing with them. The most important thing is to keep smiling. I often tell parents to smile at babies more, and they'll naturally smile back more. How can I help children and parents relax a bit and understand that the direction of treatment lies in communication skills. I'm very fortunate to have chosen the right subject for my career!\"<\/p>

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Paediatric specialist Dr. Chan Yan Wing is very fond of children and believes that communication hinges on a smile. (Photo by Ng Chor Kan)

As the saying goes, \"A doctor's heart is like a parent's,\" and Chan Yan Wing's initial choice to study medicine was purely driven by a desire to help others. \"I find being a doctor very meaningful, as the work I do every day can help people and save lives. I'm quite timid, so I didn't dare to be a firefighter, hence I studied hard and considered a career as a doctor for life. What makes me happiest is that after seeing patients every day, many say thank you. Of course, this is part of the job, but it's truly meaningful to be able to help others every day. Unlike other professions such as finance or law, after we finish studying medicine and complete our hospital internships, we need to study for six more years of specialisation. We must continuously update our knowledge in all aspects, which is like a lifelong learning process.\"<\/p>

To study medicine for one's own medical treatment.<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>

When studying at the University of Hong Kong, Chan Yan Wing (Bosco) was originally interested in becoming an orthopaedic specialist. \"Perhaps it's related to my own experiences. I've loved playing basketball since I was little, and I used to be overweight. Playing basketball helped me slim down a bit. In secondary school, at St. Joseph's, the school traditionally focused on football and basketball. Besides studying, it was all about playing basketball. I'd play with classmates before class and during breaks, playing until my shirt was soaked and dried multiple times. Later, I was selected for the school team, but in Form Five, I tore my left anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus. I was young then and didn't know that having surgery sooner would help. The orthopaedic doctor said I'd be fine if I stopped playing basketball and didn't need surgery.\" Bosco wasn't an obedient patient, and playing basketball again at university led to knee degeneration. Because of this, he wanted to become a doctor to treat himself.<\/p>

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Chan Yan-wing (right) poses for a photo with his father (left). He was chubbier as a child. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)<\/p>

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While studying at the University of Hong Kong's Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Chan Yan-wing was selected for the basketball team and travelled to Taiwan with the team for competitions. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)<\/p>

The internship experience led Chan Yan-wing to rethink his future path. \"After graduating from medicine at the University of Hong Kong in 2002, I interned in the paediatric ward at Princess Margaret Hospital and found it very enjoyable. Of course, when children are unwell, their parents are naturally worried; but when the children recover, they become full of life, which invigorates me, and I found the internship over several months to be very pleasant. To put it the other way around, why did I choose paediatrics? Because I was 'fooled' by the children.\"<\/p>

He smiled and added: \"My personality is quite meticulous, so I'm absolutely suited to be a paediatrician. However, this specialty is quite arduous. In our day, resident doctors had 'one call every three days.' My first month of residency was in July, and I had 11 calls. This meant I'd start work at 9 am on Monday, and after my colleagues finished at 5 pm, I would be on call until 1 pm the following afternoon. Wednesdays were normal 9 am to 5 pm shifts, and then I'd be on call again on Thursdays. The entire process was very tough, but it was also the fastest way to learn.\"<\/p>

Special experiences during the \"double non\" period
<\/span><\/strong>Chen Yan-wing then transferred to a geriatric ward at Queen Mary Hospital for his internship, just as SARS broke out. \"Hong Kong's population is ageing, and caring for the elderly is very important. The whole atmosphere was that you really wanted to help them, and naturally, the mood became heavy.\"<\/p>

He then went to Princess Margaret Hospital for paediatric specialist training. \"My interests lie in paediatric neurology, specialising in related issues such as child behavioural development, autism, ADHD, and seizures. Of course, now as a private doctor, I see all kinds of illnesses, especially newborns.\"<\/p>

Seeking new challenges, in 2010, Chan Yan-yung left government hospitals to join Hong Kong Baptist Hospital as a resident paediatrician. This was during the height of the \"double non\" craze, when many mainland Chinese pregnant women came to Hong Kong to give birth. He recalled, \"I had to deal with many emergencies. I lived near the hospital, and what impressed me most was one time when the obstetrician discovered during an ultrasound that the foetus had no heartbeat, and they immediately paged me. I 'sprinted' back at 3 am.\"<\/p>

Another case involved a baby with a congenital abdominal muscle defect, where the intestines had come out. Bosco recalled arriving at the emergency room and seeing the infant, being stunned by the sight. He immediately wrapped the baby in cling film before deciding on the surgical procedure. At that time, expectant mothers in mainland China often had incomplete prenatal check-ups, leading to many unusual situations.<\/p>

After working at Baptist Hospital for about two and a half years, Dr. Chan Yan-wing stepped out of his comfort zone again and opened a clinic with other doctors. In 2015, he even tried to set up a paediatric medical centre. \"Opportunity only favours the prepared. When you're in one role, you have to think about what to do next, and when you're in another role, you have to think about the next step after that. I founded the paediatric medical centre because I do a lot of paediatric development, such as assessing developmental delays in children. Plus, my wife is a child psychiatrist, so I thought, why not set up a paediatric medical centre and collaborate with clinical psychologists, dietitians, educational psychologists, and so on.\"<\/p>

He hopes parents won't just bring their children in for coughs and colds, and that if children have psychological or developmental issues, he is confident he can help. \"Raising a child is very hard, let alone taking care of a child with SEN (Special Educational Needs). For example, some patients with anxiety disorders get anxious easily. If they are helped earlier, the whole family's problems can be solved.\"<\/p>

Dr. Chan understands that many parents have numerous questions about raising a newborn, which led him to publish \"Raising a Healthy Baby! Doctor Dad's 100 Q&As on Parenting\" in 2018. \"I really wanted to find a book in a bookshop that I had written, as I see many parents worrying about different things. I already write a column for a health magazine, so I organised that content, added new ideas, and wrote about common illnesses seen in daily practice, specifically addressing parental concerns such as sneezing, rashes, and birthmarks.\" In July this year, Bosco will release his second book, which all the doctors in his paediatrics team have contributed to. The book is titled \"Pediatric Troubles and Oddities\" and will explain conditions like Tourette syndrome and purpura.<\/p>

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In 2018, Chan Yan Wing (left) introduced his parenting book at the Book Fair. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)<\/p>

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Handle suspected cases with care<\/strong><\/span>
Despite having practised medicine for many years, when Dr. Chan Yan Wing encounters a suspected case, he is still meticulous in verifying it. He says seriously, \"For some cases, we feel uneasy and will proactively suggest to the parents that more detailed examinations be done. For example, there was a girl who had a fever for seven or eight consecutive days but had no significant symptoms and was in good spirits. I was quite concerned and suggested the parents have her admitted to the hospital for detailed examination. As it turned out, blood tests revealed very low white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts. She actually had acute leukaemia. The blood was drawn on the first day, she was sent to the children's hospital on the second day, and further bone marrow tests confirmed the diagnosis on the third day. She required chemotherapy treatment. This is the experience gained from handling numerous cases.\"<\/p>

Chan Yan-wing believes that every case can be seen as a learning process. There was one case that made him very unhappy. A parent brought a child who had fallen and was bleeding to the clinic. The nurse did not inform Bosco that the schedule for that day was full and did not make an exception for the child. The parent was extremely angry and later wrote online, \"Don't you have any sympathy? Why didn't you make an exception?\"<\/p>

In fact, he was examining a patient in the room at the time and had no idea what was happening outside.<\/p>

Having learned this lesson, Dr. Chan instructed the clinic nurses to explain the patient's condition clearly and at the very least, to treat their wounds rather than simply letting them leave. He felt he was not a hard worker; he saw patients seven days a week, and on Sundays when the clinic was closed, he would visit patients in the hospital. \"This incident made me reflect on the need to improve communication at the clinic.\"<\/p>

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Chan Yan-wing (arrow) regularly meets with the medical team to enhance cooperation and communication. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)<\/p>

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He was busy with public duties, once for his wife's birthday. While celebrating over dinner, he was suddenly called back to the hospital to deal with a parent's complaint. On the day his clinic opened, a parent of a patient also called, requesting an appointment. He places great importance on interaction with patients and their parents, and will do his utmost within his capabilities. \"Paediatrics especially requires communication with parents. Children who have seen a doctor will excitedly say, 'Today I get to see Dr. Chan, I can get a sticker, and sweets (vitamin C lollies).'\"<\/p>

Chen Yan-yung, who repeatedly emphasises his fondness for children, openly admits that while he used to be called \"Doctor Brother\" or \"Doctor Uncle,\" he is now even referred to as \"Doctor Grandpa.\" He states, \"I treated a patient when they were young, and now they have children of their own and bring their babies to visit me. I'm not that old yet, but I'm starting to encounter these types of former patients. I'm very happy that everyone shares different things with me. Paediatricians aren't afraid of shaky hands or presbyopia; they can work until they're seventy or eighty.\"<\/p>

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A few years ago, Chan Yan-wing responded to a call from the Hong Kong Red Cross and donated bone marrow to help those in need. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)<\/p>

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Chan Yan Wing (Bosco) Profile
Age: 46
Consultant Paediatrician
Married, with one son and one daughter
Qualifications: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from The University of Hong Kong, Master of Medicine (Paediatrics) from National University of Singapore, and Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK), among others.
Interests: Basketball, Travel<\/p>

Written by: Yang Yu-de
godricyeung@hkej.com<\/a><\/p>

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Source: Hong Kong Economic Journal [Kindness and Compassion Talk] (5 June 2024) : https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/3sz6u43w<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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