Global Achievement
Dr. Axel Yuet-chung SIU, JP (MBChB 1992)
Dr. Axel Yuet-chung SIU, JP (MBChB 1992) is the awardee in Global Achievement 2025 of the Distinguished Medical Alumni Award
In March 2020, while much of the world was locked down in uncertainty, Dr. Axel SIU Yuet-chung flew into Wuhan—then the global epicentre of COVID-19. As part of the Hospital Authority Emergency Response Operation Outside Hong Kong Support Team, he joined a government-chartered medical mission to assist stranded Hongkongers—including pregnant women, elderly passengers, and young children—and bring them home. With limited information and no established protocols, Dr. SIU oversaw medical operations with precision, transforming the aircraft into a functioning emergency facility over a demanding 20-hour mission. Again, in March 2025, Dr. SIU joined the HKSAR Rescue Team to Myanmar, where the team’s efforts successfully salvaged a life from the rubbles. These experiences affirmed what Dr. SIU has always believed: people perform best under pressure when they’ve been trained for it in advance.
As head of emergency departments across the Hong Kong East Cluster, Dr. SIU has put this belief into practise across the system. At the Accident and Emergency Training Centre, which he leads, over 100,000 professionals and community members have received realistic, simulation-based training, learning to act with clarity and confidence under pressure.
To Dr. SIU, education is a form of protection—and it belongs to everyone. His view is that emergency care should not be confined to hospitals but shared with the public in ways that are practical and inclusive. One example is “Anyone CPR”, a volunteer network he co-founded to provide immediate CPR support during Hong Kong’s marathon races. A long-distance runner and mountaineer himself, Dr. SIU has authored a practical guide on wilderness medicine to promote safety in outdoor settings. As Chair of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Strategic Committee at the Hong Kong Red Cross, he promotes disaster preparedness, giving citizens the tools to step in during emergencies.
This commitment to public emergency education complements his professional leadership. In his role as the Medical Director in Hong Kong Fire Services Department over 13 years, Dr. SIU spearheaded the advancement in prehospital medicine and led the paramedic service to new horizons. His influence also extends beyond Hong Kong. As a former president of both the Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine and the Asian Society for Emergency Medicine, he has helped develop shared training standards, strengthen international partnerships, and elevate the speciality on a global scale.
From frontline crisis response to public education and international collaboration, Dr. SIU has consistently focused on one goal: equipping others with the skills and confidence to act when it matters most.