HK volunteers unite to fight virus outbreak

Volunteers from all walks of life in Hong Kong have banded together to strengthen the city's battle against the fifth wave of COVID-19, with more than 450,000 infections reported since February.

Private surgeon Kelvin Wong Kiufung has been working side by side with doctors and nurses from public hospitals since mid-January at the Hospital Authority Community Treatment Facility at AsiaWorld-Expo.

During his 8-hour shift, Wong assesses patients' health, attends a 2 pm meeting with infectious disease specialists, and provides psychological support to patients, many of whom suffer from stress due to income loss or separation from loved ones.

The AsiaWorld-Expo facility was built in August 2020 with the help of the mainland during the third wave of COVID in Hong Kong, providing 1,000 beds for patients with mild symptoms. Wong, then employed in the public health system, worked at the facility. He moved to the private health system the following year.

As the latest wave of COVID began to batter Hong Kong after the Chinese New Year and the city faced a shortage of doctors, Wong applied to the Hospital Authority to help boost the number of medical workers.

"I believe that many private doctors, who the government can fully mobilize to relieve the burden on public hospitals, are willing to lend a helping hand," Wong said.

Retired police chief inspector Luk Hoi-ho and his team also understood the heavy burden on security officials.

As the COVID-19 situation started to worsen in late January, the 62-year-old veteran officer was acutely aware of the front-line challenges of fighting the coronavirus.

He called on 500 friends and former colleagues－all from the Hong Kong Disciplined Services－to offer assistance to residents of buildings cordoned off for compulsory testing.

The volunteers' tasks include maintaining order, helping with registration, delivering supplies, and offering suggestions on how to avoid cross-infection during the compulsory testing operations. "We felt it is the responsibility of people like us－who have time and the relevant skills－to come to help," Luk said.

Jacky Ko Chung-kit, secretary-general of the Y. Elites Association, also pitched in to help. Ko and his association have been working with 38 youth groups, enlisting 300 volunteers and 200 vehicles to help transport people and anti-pandemic supplies.

Ko and his fellow volunteers pack and send donated rapid antigen test kits to social and charitable groups for distribution to grassroots residents.

Meanwhile, medical supplies are pouring into the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from the mainland and overseas.

Hong Kong Air Cargo has been providing free cargo services to bring in medical supplies and test kits since the beginning of the current outbreak, said William Chan Kit, the company's director of government and public affairs.

In the past month, the company has transported rapid antigen test kits from Malaysia and Lianhua Qingwen capsules, a traditional Chinese medicine approved for COVID-19 treatment for mild and moderate cases, from the mainland.

Retired pharmacist Chiang Sauchu organized a team of 50 volunteers to help deliver medication to the elderly, people with chronic diseases, COVID-positive patients in quarantine, and also people in residential care homes.

Chiang, 67, said her phone rings constantly from 9 am to 9 pm. "I expected only 200 calls, which turned out to be over 1,000 phone calls at the end of the day," said Chiang, director of the Hong Kong Pharmaceutical Care Foundation.

Despite most of the volunteers working over 12 hours a day, they were still unable to meet all the demand for deliveries due to the shortage of helpers and the unexpected workload.

Even as the demand grows, Chinag said the volunteers try to do their best. "As a pharmacist I felt obliged to help out, and it is really worthwhile," Chiang said.