Dr. George Choa Wing-SienAn Otorhinolaryngologist of International Repute By Herbert K. Lau (劉敬恒) (Rotary China Historian) 1 September 2015“Pioneer was one of city’s first specialist surgeons.”“Top ear, nose and throat expert and tireless advocate for rights of deaf people dies at 92.”~~ 《South China Morning Post》Monday, 7 October 2013Dr. George Choa Wing-Sien(蔡永善), G.B.S., C.B.E., K.St.J., LL.D., F.H.K.A.M., F.R.A.C.S., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S., D.L.O., M.B., B.S., J.P. (1921-2013) was an otorhinolaryngologist of international repute. Otorhinolaryngology is an ancient and classical name for a well-established surgical specialty in medicine when nowadays the English words“ear, nose, and throat” happily become the familiar abbreviation “ENT”.Following the foot-steps of his elder brother Robert Choa (蔡永興), George joined The Rotary Club of Hong Kong(香港扶輪社). After Robert was Club President in 1966-1967 and later became District 345 Governor in1971-1972, George served as Club President in the same year of his brother’s class. Not too many years later, George was elected also to serve as District 345 Governor in 1979-1980, and hence made the historical record of “Bother Club Presidents/District Governors of the Same Club and in the Same District”.Rotary International District 345 then was complied with several dozens of clubs located in the British Crown Colony Hong Kong(香港), the Portuguese Territory Macao(澳門), and the northern portion of the Chinese province Taiwan(臺灣).Through the Rotary Movement, George had also been successful in helping others. One of the remarkable projects during his district leadership, George worked through The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and brought volunteer physicians and dentists to provide health care in the Vietnamese refugee camps in Hong Kong.
2Rotary Volunteers in Vietnamese Refugee Camps, Hong KongMany of the Vietnamese people immigrated illegally toHong Kong as a result of the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and persecution since the mid-1970s. Backed by a humanitarian policy of the then British Crown Colony Hong Kong Government, and under the auspices of the United Nations, some Vietnamese were permitted to settlein Hong Kong. After the Vietnam War ended in April 1975 with the Fall of Saigon, North Vietnam reunited the northern and southern halves of the country, many people began to flee out of fear of the new communist government–the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (越南社會主義共和國). Many refugees headed by boat to nearby countries, initially China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.In 1979, the Vietnamese Government began repressing ethnic Chinese in Vietnam causing many to seek refugee status in Hong Kong. Hong Kong declared itself the “port of first asylum” with the support of The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Hong Kong, with the status of “safe haven”, soon became the leading destination. The BBC World Service spurred the choice by making known Hong Kong’s 3-month grace period in which to make resettlement applications to a third country. Hong Kong was also known for its liberal policy of allowing landed refugees the right to work. It was the peak year of arrivals, when more than 68,700 people arrived in Hong Kong.The tide of refugees continued to flow, and in 1980, more than 100,000 Vietnamese sought refugee rights in Hong Kong. At this time, these migrants usually succeeded in gaining refugee status, and were eventually accepted by Western countries. To deter the influx of refugees, new arrivals from Vietnam were interned in “closed camps” as possibilities for resettlement to third countries dwindled. The illegal entry of Vietnamese refugees was a problem which plagued the Hong Kong community for 25 years until the problem was only resolved in 2000.These closed camps were criticized for keeping freedom-seeking people “behind barbed wire”.The overcrowded camps filled with sickness, hunger, and misery(see photo on Pages3-4).One of the significant needs of these people was “medical and health care services”. Providing guidance and comfort, Hong Kong Rotarians, in cooperation with the Government and other local service organizations, had prepared a film and an illustrated booklet explaining the plight of Vietnamese refugees and Hong Kong’s efforts to relieve the situation. Rotary Club members distributed their film and literature among service organizations in the United States, stirring support for efforts to resettle the thousands of homeless refugees. To address the needs of medical aid, District 345 Governor Dr. George Choa (蔡永善醫生) invited The Rotary Foundation to send volunteer doctors via the 3-H Program. The first 8 doctors were sent to Hong Kong during the 6 summer months in 1980, followed by another 12 additional volunteers were scheduled through April 1981.In Hong Kong, Dr. George Choa had also organized a team of 10 local Rotarian doctors to assist the Rotarian volunteers sent by The Rotary Foundation from overseas. Enthusiasm and energy characterized each of the Rotary volunteers who had served in the camps. The first 2 volunteers were both from Canada. Dr. Wang Tsio-Yong, a gerontologist, director of the Community Service Committee of the Westmount Rotary Club in Montreal, Quebec, joined by Dr. Kenneth C. Hobbs, a member of the Whitby Rotary Club, Ontario. They began duties at Hong Kong’s Argyle Camp in 16 March-10 May 1980