Professor Ronald Maier’s visit to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China

Professor Ronald Maier, MD, FACS, FRCS Ed(Hon), First Vice-President of the American College of Surgeons was invited to Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China in September 2016 to review the Inaugural Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) Provider Course organized by the China-Hong Kong Chapter (CHKC-ACS). During his visit on 22-28 September 2016, Professor Maier attended a Chapter Reception on 23 September, the Hong Kong Surgical Forum and Shenzhen Surgical Forum organized by the Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong on 24-25 September, and the Inaugural ATLS course in Shenzhen on 26-28 September. Professor Maier was pleased with the conduct of the course which he considered to have reached the College’s domestic and international standards.

Inaugural ATLS® Course in Shenzhen, China

The CHKC-ACS has been conducting ATLS courses in Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Department of Surgery of The University of Hong Kong, since 1997. The establishment of the University’s affiliated hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, provides the platform for a training site in Mainland China. With a translated student manual, an Inaugural Provider Course, delivered entirely in Putonghua, was conducted at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital on 26-28 September, 2016. The event was attended by Professor Ronald V. Maier; Professor Richard Lo, Governor of the CHKC-ACS; Professor John Wong, President of CHKC-ACS; Professor Chung-Mau Lo, Head of Department of Surgery of The University of Hong Kong; Dr Gilberto Leung, ATLS Program Director of CHKC-ACS; Dr Daniel Tong, Director of the Inaugural Provider Course in Shenzhen, as well as central and provincial government officials of the People’s Republic of China. The sixteen candidates came from four different provinces; several have been identified as candidates for the first Instructor Course in Putonghua in December 2016.

While doctors from the Mainland have been obtaining ATLS training in Hong Kong and other countries in past years, this Inaugural Course represents a major step towards the formal introduction of ATLS into a country with 2 million licensed doctors whose participation in internationally accredited training has until now been limited by language barrier. It is a historical event that will have significant impact on patient care in China and the ATLS International community.

We are most grateful for Professor Ronald Maier to participate in the Department of Surgery’s activities and the inauguration of the ATLS program in Mainland China.

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