Dr Ma Hung Yu

(1950 – 2017)

Dr Ma Hung Yu was born in Sri Lanka in 1950. He undertook his schooling and undergraduate medical training in Columbo, where he graduated MBBS in 1976.

He then travelled to the UK where he worked in a variety of hospitals in England and Wales, gaining his Diploma and Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in 1983 and 1988 respectively.

In 1991, he travelled to New Zealand, where he worked as a senior registrar at the Waikato Women’s Hospital. He became a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RNZCOG) in 1992 and moved to Invercargill to take up a full-time position in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology. For a short time, he did have a limited private surgical practice. His work in Invercargill involved a teaching role with the University of Otago Medical School.

Following the amalgamation of the Australian and New Zealand Colleges in 1998, Ma Hung became a Fellow of RANZCOG. In 2002, he moved to London where he joined his brother, also a doctor, and worked in general practice.

Ma Hung married Dr Rukshana Majeed, an O&G with whom he worked with in Invercargill. The couple had one young child, Mariam, to whom Ma Hung was very devoted. Tragically, Rukshana died after a short illness with a brain tumour. Ma Hung later married Zakia, a teacher from Pakistan.

Ma Hung had a keen interest in sport, especially rugby, soccer and cricket. He had represented the Columbo University in rugby and rowing. He also had a surprisingly wide general knowledge covering many subjects.

He was a quiet and diffident man who was always punctual and well presented. His overall clinical competency was very good, his surgical work and academic knowledge sound, and he was well organised. He was diligent in maintaining his ongoing education and was an efficient administrator.

Ma Hung died on 8 January 2017, and is survived by his wife Zakia and daughter Mariam.