The Hong Kong Society of Digestive Endoscopy (HKSDE) was founded by Dr. William Chao, Frank Cheng, Joseph Leung and Sydney Chung in 1982. HKSDE aims to facilitate education, training and development of endoscopy in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific region. Prior to the formation of HKSDE, Dr. Frank Cheng was already a veteran Councilor of the Asian-Pacific Society for Digestive Endoscopy (APSDE), representing the first Hong Kong medical professional sitting on the board of this regional body.
Over the past 3 decades, technological advances and breakthrough innovations have made landmark achievements in both diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. As a leading loco-regional society, HKSDE is dedicated to providing quality training programmes in basic and advanced endoscopy targeting at both knowledge and skills transfer. HKSDE organized its first International Workshop on Therapeutic Endoscopy with live demonstration in December 1985. Being the first of its kind in the world, the workshop received overwhelming responses. It subsequently became an annual event since 1987. Each year, this international event attracts more than 800 delegates from over 20 countries and the 3-day programme features didactic lectures, live demonstrations of more than 50 cases of various endoscopy techniques as well as the pathology session.
HKSDE has also been serving as an important key to the development of endoscopy in China. Under Dr. Chao’s leadership, HKSDE joined hands with the Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy (CSDE) and conducted several Chinese Therapeutic Endoscopy workshops in the 1990s. With Hong Kong’s reunification to China, there has been increasing demand for collaboration in education and development of endoscopy between Hong Kong and China, especially in ERCP for treatment of hepatobiliary diseases. One of the important initiatives from HKSDE was the organization of hands-on endoscopy and ERCP training courses in the mainland. The hands-on training courses had been successful with more than 450 endoscopists being trained by experts from Hong Kong and China. In collaboration with the Endoscopy Centre of Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, an advanced fellowship programme was established to facilitate endoscopy training of endoscopists from mainland. The programme was supported by a Foundation established by Dr. Chao. Up to date, more than 50 scholarship recipients of the programme are appointed as Professors by their respective hospitals/ universities, serving as leaders for education and training of endoscopy in China.
HKSDE will continue to serve its role in advancing digestive endoscopy and upholding the standard of endoscopy for Hong Kong, China and Asia.