The Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has received a donation of HK$1 million from The Board of Management of The Chinese Permanent Cemeteries (BMCPC) for enhancing the facilities in the dissecting laboratory, thereby strengthening anatomy education and surgical training. The donation ceremony was held recently at the Hong Kong Museum of History. The donation will be used for purchasing additional dissecting facilities including dissection tables, operation beds and surgical lightheads. The enhancement will not only offer better learning resources for medical students, but also allow an additional 100ish surgeons to be trained every year. 

Anatomy is an essential part of medical education for students to gain first-hand experience on human body and pathology before learning clinical treatment. For surgeons, surgery simulation is a critical training as it allows them to sharpen their surgical skills. 

Ms Brenda Lo, Executive Director of BMCPC stated, ‘BMCPC has been actively promoting life and death education to members of the public.  Through joining hands with CUHK on the “Silent Teachers” Body Donation and Ashes Scattering Programme, BMCPC would like to promote green burial as well as positive values and attitudes towards life.  The donation granted to the Faculty of Medicine of CUHK for improving its facilities will enhance the effect on the promotion of the programme.’ 

Prof. CHAN Sun-On, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK expressed his sincere gratitude to BMCPC for the generous donation. ‘There is a saying that goes: “sharp tools make good works”, dissecting facilities are very important to anatomy education. The dissecting laboratory enhancement project will not only provide an excellent learning environment for medical students, but also allow more skillful surgeons to be trained.’ 

CUHK launched the ‘Silent Teachers’ body donation programme in 2012 with the concepts of ‘respect’, ‘human value’ and ‘social responsibility’. The programme has been fully supported by BMCPC since its launch. In order to appreciate the selflessness contribution of the silent teachers to medical training and research, BMCPC established a memorial wall dedicated to them at the Garden of Remembrance in Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery in May 2013. Since then, ‘Silent Teachers’ are offered an option of ash scattering service at the Garden of Remembrance after completing their missions. To enhance the body donation programme, the donation will be partly used for purchasing additional coffin shelves and equipment for the transfer of remains. 

After series of promotion, the body donation program has received vigorous support from the public with more than 7,000 registrations. To meet the rising demand and allow more people to join the programme, the BMCPC agreed to increase the number of plaques to 120 on the memorial wall. 

In addition, the Faculty of Medicine organized the second ash scattering ceremony on 29 November with 20 silent teachers and their families participated. The number of participants has increased 7 times compared to the previous year, indicating that the concept of green burial has been more widely accepted by the public. The ceremony was officiated by Prof. CHAN Sun-On, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, with vote of thanks given by the student representatives.

(Left) Prof. CHAN Sun-On, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK receives the cheque from Mr Tsang Tak-sing, GBS, JP, Secretary for Home Affairs.

CUHK Faculty of Medicine holds an ash scattering ceremony for 20 silent teachers and invites their families to participate.

A dedicated memorial wall was established at the Garden of Remembrance in Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery to recognize the selfless contribution of the silent teachers to medical training and research.