The doctor attending Jason Leung Song-xue, who was seriously injured in the Manila hostage shooting, hopes the teenager can return home soon after spending seven months in hospital, but it remains uncertain when this can happen.
'Jason is recovering steadily and he is learning to walk with assistance. We hope that he can go home soon,' the head of neurosurgery at Tuen Mun Hospital, Dr Dawson Fong To-sang, said yesterday.
'But I won't be surprised if he has to stay at the hospital for a little while longer because we have to carefully consider his discharge plan.'
Leung suffered serious brain damage in the August 23 tragedy in which seven Hong Kong tourists and their guide were killed, including his father and two sisters. His mother survived.
Fong said Leung's rehabilitation plan was being carefully worked out.
'Some of the patients suffering from similar brain injuries could be discharged at this stage, but we do have some patients who stay in hospitals for a long time,' Fong said.
'In this case, we have to discuss with the family who can take care of him at home. We have to strike a balance between having him rehabilitating in a home environment and the frequency of treatments, such as physiotherapy, that he can get after being discharged.'
