The parents of a 17-year-old boy who was left permanently disabled as a newborn baby are considering bringing civil lawsuits against a pediatrician who has been suspended for nine months over a medical incident in 2009.

On Sunday, the Medical Council of Hong Kong, an independent statutory body responsible for the registration and disciplinary regulation of medical practitioners in Hong Kong, completed its hearing concerning the 2009 case in which newborn baby Li Yuanjian developed cerebral palsy and decided to suspend pediatrician Sit Sou-chi for nine months for professional misconduct in connection with the case.

An inquiry panel found that the pediatrician’s testimony was not credible and that he failed to conduct a necessary examination after the baby had suffered from a seizure.  

The baby’s parents described the council’s verdict as “delayed justice”, saying that they will consider seeking redress for the negligence of the doctor and the medical institution involved through civil litigation, local media reported.

Li, now 17, receives 24-hour care at a special school in Hong Kong, but the arrangement can only continue until he turns 18. His parents are in the queue for government-subsidized residential care homes for adults with disabilities, according to reports.

While advocates welcomed the council's verdict, the delay has drawn sharp criticism from the medical sector and triggered an urgent government move to fast-track future medical complaints.

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Cheng Chi-man, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association, told local media that the 16-year delay was “ridiculously wrong and unacceptable”, prompting calls to identify root causes and prevent any recurrence of similar cases.

Calling to establish clear time frames and transparency in the handling of medical complaints to improve public trust, he told local Chinese media that prolonged disciplinary processes will damage the public’s confidence in the system and intensify the distress felt by victims’ families.

He added that doctors bear the ultimate responsibility for patient diagnosis and treatment decisions, and that collaboration with nurses and junior staff may be supportive but should not serve as a substitute for a doctor’s own clinical judgement.

Community Organizer at the Society for Community Organization Tim Pang Hung-cheong, who has been providing support for the victim’s family, said the ruling was reasonable and the absence of a suspended sentence reflected the seriousness of the case, local media reported.

He suggested balancing the composition of doctors and lay members at the council’s inquiry panel to protect patients’ interests.

David Lam Tzit-yuen, a lawmaker representing the medical sector, also pointed out that the delay was “extremely undesirable” and proposed enhancing the efficiency of inquiries as one area of reform for the medical council, reports said.

In response to the call to protect patients’ interests and strengthen medical accountability, the Hong Kong government has gazetted the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026, which proposes four major sets of amendments: adjusting the composition of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, enhancing the complaint handling mechanism, strengthening protection for society, and improving medical training and talent attraction.

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The bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first reading on Wednesday.