此計劃讓市民可於辭世後捐贈遺體以支援醫療教育及研究。
The Body Donation Programme allows people to donate the bodies after they pass away for the purposes of medical education and research. 對香港大學醫療專業的學生來說(包括醫學、護理、藥物、中醫和牙科),捐贈得來的遺體為他們提供了學習解剖學的最佳和最真實的方法。學生可以從真實的人體學習,而並非從模型或電腦軟件上學習,好為將來治療病患者作出充份準備。解剖學是修讀醫療專業的基礎,故此遺體捐贈對於醫療教育是很重要的。
更重要的是,遺體捐贈可啟發學生對病人的尊敬和專業態度,因為遺體捐贈者代表了學生在訓練過程中接觸的首位病人:這位病人曾與疾病對抗,最後雖亦辭世,仍慷慨地捐出身體,支持醫療教育。通過這些捐贈,學生不僅學會人體的構造,更了解到人類的偉大和慷慨無私。這是在人生和醫療訓練過程中重要的一課
遺體亦可供醫生用於醫學研究,例如發展新的外科技術以應付現有技術未能處理的疾病。同時亦容許醫生持續改良外科技術,以便在病人身上可以更有效和安全地進行手術。
The donated bodies are studied by students of the healthcare professions (including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, Chinese medicine, and dentistry) at The University of Hong Kong. Body donation provides the opportunity for these students to learn anatomy in the best and most realistic way: from real human bodies, and not from models or computer-generated graphics, so that they are well prepared to treat patients in the future. More importantly, these donated bodies will also develop students' respect and professionalism towards their patients, since the donors represent the first patients they will encounter in their medical training: patients who had been ill and fought their illnesses, and although they finally succumbed, had been so generous as to donate their bodies to healthcare education. Through these donations, students will not only learn about human anatomy but about the greatness and generosity of human beings. This is an important lesson to learn in healthcare training and in life. The donated bodies are also studied by doctors for medical research, such as the development of new surgical techniques to tackle diseases that existing surgical techniques cannot satisfactorily manage. The donated bodies also allow doctors to train themselves on existing surgical techniques so that they can be done more effectively and safely on patients. Body donation is very important to education and research in healthcare professions, and eventually to the betterment of human health. The wish to donate one's body is thus a truly altruistic act, demonstrating a selfless concern for the well-being of others. We therefore receive the donated bodies with much gratitude, and the bodies are treated with great respect by all of our staff and students. And we call these donated bodies our silent mentors