I was devastated to hear of the tragic death of WS Ho in Hong Kong on 14 January 2024. He was a leading member of the plastic surgical community and a former trainee at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatin. This was the major teaching hospital for the Chinese University of Hong Kong. When I arrived there in 1999, WS was already a specialist and had focused on burns care. He was a dedicated surgeon and led an emerging, high-powered team until he reluctantly moved into the private sector. This was unfortunately a result of the manpower planning in the public hospital authority where promotions were very difficult to achieve.
I came across this picture as I was preparing for a talk today. It is one of the early pictures I took of the team operating on an acute chemical burn (around 2001). It shows from left to right: Peter Pang, WS Ho, Stephanie Lam, SY Ying and Richard Young (clinical fellow from the UK).
A wonderful group of young aspiring surgeons who have gone on to make their mark in Hong Kong and China with their humanitarian work, educational involvement, and excellence in clinical practice (Richard Young is now a well-known Harley Street Plastic Surgeon).
