By Thomas Chor Wing Chiu
21 July 2024
Sydney Australia
On 14 July 2024, a thoughtful person, Cydonee Mardon (Cyd) sent me the news about the popularity of Professor Charlie Teo (Charlie) in China, as well as related links, published in Daily Telegraph, the newspaper she edited yesterday. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/australians-with-brain-cancer-forced-to-fly-overseas-to-be-operated-on-by-charlie-teo/news-story/ 7b98a75ceb28b977b93cde6e4bc1e560
This thoughtful person Cydonee Mardon, like other brain cancer patients of Charlie in the past, has continued to survive because of Charlie’s kindness and skills, giving them a glimmer of hope of life.
Fate often makes people feel incredible! It was precisely because of Charlie’s superb neurosurgery skills and care for his patients that he aroused the jealousy of the industry, which ultimately led to Charlie being found guilty of “unsatisfactory professional conduct” by the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) last year. In fact, colleagues whom I know in the legal profession believed that it was inappropriate for this hearing to use an out-of-context approach to convict Charlie, who is arguably the national treasure of Australian medical profession.
What is even more ridiculous is that if Charlie performs an operation on a patient in Australia in the future, he must have other neurosurgeon sign off to confirm that the operation is viable to perform.
This very humiliating condition directly cuts off the hope of life for local Australian patients suffering from terminal brain cancer.
Therefore, we, a group of like-minded friends, worked together to enable Charlie, to continue to pass on his medical experience and superb neurosurgery in mainland China in a very short period of time. Here I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Ling Feng, who is also famous around the world as one of the leaders of neurosurgery in China.
The admirable thing about Professor Ling is that although she was born into a medical family, in order not to take advantage of her parents, she changed her family name and studied medicine in a low-key manner. Before she retired, she was the director of the neurosurgery department of Beijing Xuanwu Hospital. she is also the deputy director of China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI).
Before and after her retirement, she founded Chinese Medical Volunteers (the team). Over the years the team has provided medical treatment to the poor living in mountains and countryside around China
Professor Ling also promoted free clinics at home and abroad from time to time. Even when she was on a business trip, she never forgot her bounden duty and extended a helping hand to passengers who suddenly fell ill during the journey. These deeds are all published on the Internet through the wonderful writing of her husband, master Cui Jianjun!
Another thing worth mentioning is that Tanya Liu Hai-juo, an anchor with Phoenix TV who was seriously injured in the May 10 2002 British railway accident, local British doctor concluded that Tanya Liu Hai-juo would become a vegetative state for life even if there was a chance of survival!
(Beijing Hospital May Host Injured TV Anchor(http://www.china.org.cn/english/NM-e/33952.htm)
(Doctor hails TV journalist’s recovery from crash injuries | South China Morning Post
Professor Ling, however, felt obliged and flew to the UK to personally escort the patient back to Beijing Xuanwu Hospital for treatment. As a result, with the combined treatment of Chinese and Western medicine, Tanya Liu Hai-juo not only lives to this day, but also continues to silently support Professor Ling’s good deeds. The situation is exactly similar to that of Professor Charlie Teo. Many of the patients Charlie saved back then became his loyal fans!
The Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing mentioned in the above-mentioned reports by Cyd is the teaching hospital of China INI. It is the “class room” where Professor Charlie Teo demonstrates and guides China’s young neurosurgeons. China INI is world famous for having Professor Majid Sami as its president, who is known as the “Father of Skull Base Surgery”. Professor Sami was born in Iran and practices in Germany. He is a leader in modern microneurosurgery technology (especially nerve transplantation technology).
Professor Ling Feng is the vice-president of China INI. Over the years, China INI has trained many rising stars of Chinese neurosurgery. And it laid the foundation for China to move towards internationalization in neurosurgery. Now that a new force, Professor Charlie Teo has joined “Hainan Ling Feng Medical Center of Neuroscience ” established by Professor Ling Feng (the Center) at No. 2 Provincial Hospital, Wuzhi Mountain Sanya. China’s neurosurgerical science can be said to be even more advanced with expeditious developments, in particular the Center which welcomes high-end talents from home and abroad to join. Hence, there is reason to believe that after Hainan Province becomes a free trade port next year in accordance with China’s national policy, the area around Wuzhi Mountain in Sanya will have sufficient potential to develop into a globally important center for medical care, rehabilitation, and retirement care.
The news report sent to me by Cyd is a record photo images and texts of how Professor Ling Feng and Professor Charlie Teo about, how they cherish each other. I understand that those who are reading this article via internet or listening to /watching my video on social media are busy people, who may not necessarily have much time to understand the ins and outs of things, I have listed out the 4 questions from Cyd to Professor Ling Feng for her repies:
Question 1: Can you explain what it means to you to have him work with you and your team in China?
Question 2: What role do you think he will play in the future?
Question 3: Are you worried about the restrictions he faces in Australia?
Question 4: Do you have any concerns about his decision-making and surgery for a rare brainstem tumor that has been criticised in Australia?
Professor Ling’s answers to each of these 4 questions are very thorough. I have posted Professor Ling’s original replies in English with a Chinese translated version in on my YouTube channel and Facebook. Thank you!