Beijing offered medical experts' help after Szeto cancer diagnosis
Beijing suggested sending medical experts to Hong Kong to help treat Szeto Wah's lung cancer, the veteran democrat's doctor said yesterday.
Appearing with his patient at a Cancer Fund function, Dr Mok Shu-kam said both the central and local government had been "nervous" when they were first told of Szeto's stage-four cancer late last year.
Nine experts from the mainland came to the city in December to have discussions with him, soon after the diagnosis of the chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements was confirmed.
Szeto said the one-off meeting occurred after he was told by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen that the doctors' services were available.
Dr Mok, an oncology expert at Chinese University, said no particular suggestion raised by the mainland experts was adopted. "Doctors take all therapy options into account before coming up with a treatment plan for patients," he said.
While Szeto has undergone all the chemotherapy sessions required and started medication, Dr Mok said he was doing well at the moment.
"He is tough and positive," he said. "He continues with his work, and has gained some weight, too. These are all good signs for a cancer patient."
Szeto said his life has not changed much. "I still attend all functions of the alliance and the Professional Teachers' Union, only skipping walking on marches," he said.
"And I keep adding three spoons of sugar to my local-style milk tea and have three to four chocolates after dinner every day."
Szeto said he had received much love and care. "A lot of people, who I know and I do not know, came to me to send blessings," he said. "It is a gift to know these people at your late stage of life."
Szeto said the worst thing of his cancer experience were the words of his first doctor. "Before I went to Dr Mok, the first doctor informed me of the cancer and said I only had 10 months of life left. But now seven months have passed and I still feel very good with my body."
Szeto said he has been trying to "coexist with the illness and live long".
"I will strive to cure the cancer in the remaining days," he said.
But when asked to choose between a recovery and universal suffrage, he picked the latter.
Source: http://www.scmp.com
