Doctor accused of mishandling operation 15 years ago cleared of charge

An ophthalmologist accused of professional misconduct during a laser eye surgery 15 years ago was cleared of mishandling the operation, after the Medical Council of Hong Kong decided to offer no evidence against him.

At the hearing organised by the Medical Council pertaining to complaints submitted against Dr. Yiu Man-kit, the involved parties were represented by their legal teams.

The case dates back to 2010 when Yiu was suspected of performing a bilateral Lasik surgery on the complainant without providing an adequate explanation on the possible risks and complications surrounding the operation.

The complainant subsequently suffered from recurrent corneal erosion.

Yiu was also accused of performing a keratectomy on the patient -- or the surgical removal of part of the cornea -- without offering other treatment suggestions.

A professional misconduct complaint was submitted against him the following year.

In 2016, the Medical Council notified Yiu that a hearing on the matter was set to take place in May 2018.

But prior to the hearing, Yiu expressed scepticism over the relevant evidence in the case, and applied for the case to be remitted to the Preliminary Investigation Committee.

Upon reviewing the case, the committee declared that the hearing will proceed.

Yiu applied for a second remittance which was only rejected five years later.

He then applied for a judicial review last year claiming that the Medical Council delayed the case for 14 years, adding that the incident has threatened his reputation and had caused him great disturbance.

After 15 years since the start of the case, the Medical Council officially began the hearing on the matter, during which the prosecution decided not to offer evidence against Yiu.

Yiu was ultimately cleared of his misconduct charges.

Alex Lam, the chairman of Hong Kong Patients' Voices, believes the case's significant delay could have greatly affected the memories of both the complainant and other witnesses, adding that the incident has likely affected the public's perception of the Medical Council.