Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

'Hong K o n g iswheretheEastmeetstheWest.It'salsoa p l a c ewheremanyinternationalorthopaedicconferences are held, a place where mainland students can be exposed to the latest trends and developments in the world and upgrade their professionalism,' says Prof. Jack Chung, chair of the D e p a r t m e n t o f Orthopaedics a n d Traumatology. While orthopaedics o n the mainland is currently limited to treatment, orthopaedics in Ho n g Kong emphasizes both treatmen t and rehabilitation. Here orthopaedists, physiotherapists, prosthetists and nurses wo rk together to take care of a patient. The trainees w i l l take w i t h t h em n ew conceptions of treatment when they return to their home institutions. Prof. Jack Cheng discussing medical cases with clinical fellows at the outpatient clinic Hands-on workshop on Asia Shoulder Orthropaedics held in the Orthopaedic Learning Centre Orthopaedic Learning Centre The Orthopaedic Learning Centre was established in 1999 with a capacity to train 500 medical services personnel from south-east Asia. It is Hong Kong' s first and the world's third large-scale training centre of its kind. Through the use of advance d IT technology and the surgical skills training room , trainees learn from Hong Kong's experience i n orthopaedic treatment, and acquire knowledge about the latest and future developments in orthopaedics technology. Prof. Leun g Kwok-sui, director of the centre, says, T he centre has organized 49 training courses for a total of 272 orthopaedists of differen t ranks from 28 mainland cities.' To expand the coverage of its services , the centre broadcasts its courses via the Internet to medical institutions on the mainland. I t has also built up a very good network with mainland hospitals and universities. Withi n a short span of three years, the centre has assisted the Jishuitan Orthopaedic Hospital in Beijing and West China Medical University to set up similar learning facilities. 13