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Professor Paul Tam Kwong Hang, Chair of Paediatric Surgery and Li Shu-Pui Professor in Surgery at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has been named the recipient of the Rehbein Medal for 2020 by the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association (EUPSA) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the advancement of paediatric surgery.

Professor Tam is currently Interim Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of HKU. He will receive the award at EUPSA’s Congress held in June 2020 in Vienna, Austria.

EUPSA is the largest association of paediatric surgeons worldwide. The Rehbein Medal is presented on the occasion of the EUPSA annual congress to a distinguished paediatric surgeon for outstanding lifetime achievements in paediatric surgery, and for his/her significant contribution to the progress and international acknowledgment of the field.

Since its inception in 2005, the Rehbein Medal has been awarded to ten surgeons in Europe and five in the US. Professor Tam is the first surgeon in Asia to be presented with this prestigious award.

Professor Tam is delighted to receive the award and said: “I’m deeply grateful for this recognition, which is not only for myself, but also for the team of clinicians, researchers and support staff who have worked tirelessly alongside me over the years at HKU. To be listed with the 15 other Rehbein medalists, who are all pioneers and giants in the field, is an immense honour. I’m indebted to my team, family, teachers, peers, patients and the University for their support.”

Professor Tam has special interests in minimally invasive surgery, genetics and regenerative medicine of birth defects, especially Hirschsprung’s disease. Coincidentally, the late Professor Fritz Rehbein (1911 to 1991), after whom the EUPSA medal was named, was best known for pioneering the surgical technique of deep rectal anastomosis for treating children with Hirschsprung’s disease.

In addition to his significant contributions to paediatric surgery, Professor Tam also serves on many international professional associations and has led a number of projects in developing paediatric surgery in less affluent communities, especially in China, over the last two decades.

The Rehbein Medal 2020 is an important international accolade that adds to the many Professor Tam already holds, including the Denis Browne Gold Medal 2017, the highest honour awarded by the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons; the Honorary Fellowship of the American Surgical Association; and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Asian Association of Paediatric Surgeons.

About the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association (EUPSA)
EUPSA is the largest Paediatric Surgical Organisation worldwide with more than 800 members from over 50 countries. The mission of EUPSA is to maintain and promote the highest clinical standards of surgical care for paediatric and adolescent patients in European countries, to enhance the capacity of its members to discover, disseminate and apply new knowledge to the benefit of their patients, and to follow the highest ethical standards within the field of paediatric surgery.

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