Veteran Hong Kong gynaecologist struck off for 6 months after telling pregnant woman she could have abortion if fetus’ sex was undesired

A veteran Hong Kong gynaecologist has been struck off the medical register for six months and reported to police after he told a pregnant woman she could have an abortion if she was not happy with the sex of her baby.

Dr Chau Wing, a gynaecologist with about five decades of experience, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Medical Council on Thursday after it determined he had offered improper treatments to the patient in 2015 and 2016 and claimed he could enable the conception of a male child.

He was also found guilty of soliciting the patient to undergo an abortion if the child was the wrong sex.

“The defendant has by his conduct in the present case fallen below the standards expected of registered medical practitioners in Hong Kong,” council chairman Joseph Lau Wan-yee said in his judgment.

“Taking into consideration the nature and gravity of the defendant’s case … we make a global order that the defendant be removed from the general register for a period of six months.”

Professor Joseph Lau, the chairman of the Medical Council, says a veteran gynaecologist struck off for six months fell “below the standards expected” of doctors in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

The hearing was told earlier that Mak Suk-kei, who already had a 17-month-old girl, consulted Chau because she wanted to conceive a boy.

But she ended up giving birth to twin girls, an outcome she said was unexpected and would put a heavy financial burden on the family. Mak lodged a formal complaint with the council in 2018.

The body heard that Mak told Chan in November 2015 that she would like to give birth to a boy.

Chau offered some treatments and advice on how to improve the chances of conceiving a male baby, including how to boost sperm count and motility.

He also prescribed the drug Fertilan to boost egg quality and gave advice on finding the ideal timing for sex and how to loosen cervical mucus.

But the council ruled that there was no scientific proof that the treatment or suggestions made by Chau would be effective.

“There is no evidence to support that such treatments and advice offered by the defendant would skew the male-to-female sex ratio,” Lau said. “Such treatments and advice would not enable the patient to have a higher chance of having a male baby.”

The council was told that, in August 2016, when Mak was six weeks pregnant, two fetal heartbeats were detected. Chau performed a blood test to check the sex of the fetuses.

He told Mak that if it was twin girls, she could undergo an abortion and if it was a boy and a girl, the girl could be aborted.

He also suggested that if it was twin boys, one could be aborted. The tests suggested that she was carrying two girls.

The council emphasised that abortion carried out for non-medical reasons was a criminal offence and that soliciting patients to have an unlawful termination was prohibited.

Lau said the question of Chau’s qualifications in obstetrics and gynaecology would be left to the council’s education and accreditation committee, which would decide whether any action should be taken on his registration as a specialist.

Chau’s lawyer told the hearing that his client had already retired.

Lau also ruled that the case would be referred to police for further investigation as inciting an unlawful termination was a criminal offence.