Published : 13/05/2024

On May 13, 2003, Dr. Joanna Tse Yuen-man, known as the “Daughter of Hong Kong,” tragically passed away at Tuen Mun Hospital due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). She was 35 years old.

Joanna graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and joined Tuen Mun Hospital immediately after her graduation. In 2003, when Hong Kong faced an outbreak of SARS, Tuen Mun Hospital received the first group of patients.

However, the hospital faced a shortage of pulmonologists at that time. Joanna bravely volunteered to serve in the SARS ward. By the end of March that same year, she became infected with the virus, likely from droplet exposure while intubating a terminally ill patient.

She was hospitalized for treatment starting April 3 and moved to the intensive care unit on April 15. Unfortunately, despite all efforts to save her, she passed away on May 13 at 4 a.m., making her the first frontline doctor at a public hospital in Hong Kong to lose her life during the SARS period.

Upon the news of Joanna's death, communities and media outlets throughout society mourned her loss and gave her the title 'Daughter of Hong Kong.' Her remains are interred at Gallant Garden, a place exclusively for public servants who died in the line of duty.

After her death, the Hong Kong government posthumously awarded her the Medal for Bravery (Gold), making her the first woman to receive this honor. In addition, the then Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa decided to name a fund aimed at enhancing the professional development and training of medical staff after her, calling it the “Tse Yuen-man Medical Training Fund.”