THE calling of a life career came to him at the age of 13. Since then, he has never given any other job alternatives a second thought.

DR WONG POO SING

Kuching-born Dr Wong Poo Sing says he does not want to be anything else but a doctor.

Now a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore, he has worked in London, Penang and Johor Bahru.

He moved to Singapore in 2001 and has ‘more or less’ settled down in the island republic. However, his affinity with the Land of Hornbills never fades and he does not rule out the possibility of returning to Sarawak.

thesundaypost spoke with the good doctor when he was in Kuching city recently to give a talk on lung cancer at the invitation of Parkway Group Healthcare Pte Ltd.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background?

A: I was born in Kuching. My father was in the construction industry. I’m the eldest in my family and naturally, he wanted me to be an engineer to take over his business one day.

Back then, my father was working with some Scottish engineers. He got the address of a boarding school in Scotland from them, and applied to send me there. It’s six hours by train from London.

I spent one and a half years in Scotland. Life in the boarding school was tough and the food was so different. I lived in a dormitory together with the other students. It was August 1978. I came home in December the same year. At the airport, my mum couldn’t recognise me as she walked past because I lost 16 pounds. After that, I went to another boarding school in London. In 1980, I did A-Levels. A year later, I took up medical studies in London.

Q: Who inspired you to study medicine?

A: I must say it was our family doctor, Daniel Kok. Whenever I had a fever or sore throat, my parents would take me to see Dr Kok who would give a painful injection and some medicine, which were very effective. And now, I know it’s penicillin. After the injection, I got well fast. I was truly inspired by him.

At 13, I knew I wanted to be a doctor — I never thought of wanting to be anything else. Then, I left Kuching to pursue my studies.

Q: Of so many disciplines, why heart and lungs?

A: I knew I wanted to be a surgeon in my final year (1986). After completing my studies, I did internship for a year. Then, I started the surgical training programme. I did many specialist courses and was interested in all of them. I served at the Royal Brompton in London, a specialist heart and lung hospital.

I was inspired by a surgeon there. His surgical and communication skills with patients were impressive. Well, if a heart problem is fixed, patients get better. It’s because the heart does not get enough oxygen — it feels pain. As for the lungs, if they leak air, repair the leak. If there is liquid, drain it. If there’s infectious cancer, remove part of the lung.

While people say cancer is the worst, heart diseases can be even more serious because it’s for life. The heart and lungs are the providers of oxygen for the body. The lungs take in oxygen while the heart pumps blood around the body. The two work together. But, of course, every organ is equally important.

Q: How do you keep morale high?

A: Teamwork matters most. As a team, we support one another. My work is to make sure patients have the confidence in us and that our staff can take them through the surgery. It is to give them the hope that a lot can be done to help them recover. It’s also necessary to make sure patients will have a good quality of life and a chance for cure.

Q: Any low moments?

A: It saddens me when a patient develops an unexpected complication. Sometimes, it’s fate. Unexpected complications are something so hard to deal with. It’s like nothing much can be done. Really sad.

Q: Any most unforgettable or worst case?

A: There’s no worst case. But generally, patients who can’t recover from unexpected complications can be termed as such.

Any unexpected case is bad. In addition, I still find it hard breaking the bad news to the patient’s family. They say once you’ve done it, you will get used to it. It’s not a good answer because up till now, it’s still a nightmare to me. I’ll never get used to it — breaking the bad news is still very sad.

I tell myself not to get personal but be empathetic — that I must understand the feelings of the family and give them time. Understanding seems to be the key. Yet, every time I do it, I feel bad, really bad.

Q: In what ways can your training benefit more Sarawakians?

A: I’m very happy to come back. My parents are still in Kuching. I always like Kuching — my friends are also here. I miss Sarawak laksa very much. I’m most willing to travel back to Kuching to help the communities here — giving health talks.

Q: Do you see greater awareness on cancer among Sarawakians?

A: Knowledge is one thing. It’s all about doing it and how one applies it right. Prevention is definitely important. People need to be aware of their family history and try to take some precautionary measures. In Sarawak, awareness on cancer has increased over the last 15 years. Regular health seminars by both local and foreign doctors can further heighten awareness.

Lung cancer can be genetic and this, many people don’t understand. There are also external factors such as bad diet and environment that trigger something. For example, some people live healthily but if the cancer gene is there, the risk is there. We will thus eat and do everything in moderation. Everyone plays a role, from basic diet providers like farmers.

If too much pesticide is used in planting vegetables, it can be harmful to health. So, it has to be from the beginning to the end.

More importantly, it should be 70 per cent full when we eat. A well-balanced diet is the key. Take high fibre food instead of fatty meat such as beef and lamb. Of course, there are other factors such as stress, lack of sleep, irregular hours. But do not go for oily food — you have a choice. Spicy food actually contains more oil and sugar which is unhealthy.

Some people, after learning that wine is good for blood circulation, tend to take more than the allowed volume. They overlook the point that too much wine can badly affect their liver. The bottom line is not to be taken in by any misconception.

Q: Any plan to serve in Sarawak?

A: Yes. There is always a plan but not at this stage. It’s not just about me but my family — my wife and kids — as well. My eldest child is 14 in Form Two, my second child is in Primary Six and the youngest in Primary Two. We are based in Singapore now. I have moved so much in the last 15 years.