CNews Issue 3, 2009

60 In Memoriam Professor Sir Harry Fang 方心讓 (MBBS 1949; Hon LLD 1977) Professor Sir Harry Fang, also known as “Father of Rehabilitation” 復康之父 , passed away on August 24, 2009 at the age of 86. “A man who lived a life filled with compassion for others, Professor Fang added to the sum of human happiness. Highly esteemed and revered by his students, colleagues and friends, this kind, caring, gentle man will be sadly missed and will long be remembered for his invaluable contributions to orthopaedic medicine, social and rehabilitation services, and his profound legacy which is found in the body of work into which he poured his heart. One cannot overstate the impact he had on orthopaedic medicine and rehabilitation in Hong Kong and the Mainland. From his earliest significant contribution to orthopaedic surgery, which was known internationally as the “Hong Kong Operation” for the treatment of skeletal tuberculosis, to the founding of orthopaedic departments at hospitals and rehabilitation centres across Hong Kong, Professor Fang fought valiantly to ease the suffering of his patients. He felt that children in particular suffered the most and, in 1959, he co-founded the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation and began building a home in Sandy Bay for convalescing children, now the Duchess of Kent Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital. He was instrumental in formulating rehabilitation policies aimed at not only improvements for the disadvantaged but also social integration.” The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU HKU Medical Alumni Association The University of Hong Kong Foundation “From early on in his career, he contributed to the international reputation of the Department by pioneering novel surgical approaches, most notably the Fang-Ong transoral approach, for the treatment of various conditions of the spine. His love for his patients, surgical skills and vigour provided the foundation for many seminal works in the years that followed… A gentleman, scholar, innovator, and activist are only but a few terms that attempt to define Professor Fang. As Sir Isaac Newton once said, ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ If our Department takes pride today for its past accomplishments and future direction, it is attributed to such individuals as Professor Fang. He was a ‘giant’ among men who will continue to inspire many and to improve the lives of others as his memory will continue to live on in all our hearts. The members of the Department express their deepest condolences to Professor Fang’s family.” Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology The world is a poorer place for his passing, but a better place for his having been here. Full version of the obituaries, please visit www.hku.hk/alumni/SirHarry