Police united against SARS
More than 120 members of the Police Volunteer Service, including retired officers and families of Force members, pulled together with the community to fight against Atypical Pneumonia by disinfecting major streets throughout the territory.
Carrying with them diluted disinfectant, they cleaned up major streets during the Easter holidays. To show their appreciation to health workers, the volunteers also cleaned streets near major hospitals such as the Princess Margaret Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and the Prince of Wales Hospital.
Lantau District Training and Staff Relations Officer Mr Sin Chat-ching, who helped organise this meaningful event, said: "We highly appreciate the work of health workers and we wanted to do something to combat the disease."
Police Constable Mr Lee Ho-hon, together with his wife and his two children, volunteered to clean up the public area commonly visited by tourists near the Big Buddha on Lantau.
Mr Lee said: "When I asked if they wanted to join the cleansing work, they immediately said 'yes' . After carrying out the disinfection service, they told me that we could do more.
"The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak has deeply affected the tourism industry. We want to make this tourist attraction cleaner in a bid to restore public confidence."
Mr Lee said he was really touched by the hard work of medical staff who risked their lives to care for SARS patients, adding that he wanted more Force members to take up volunteer work.
Meanwhile, the Marine Harbour Division's Healthy Lifestyle Voluntary Service Team and Small Boat Division Voluntary Service Group mobilised 25 members to join the Operation UNITE rally in Siu Sai Wan during the Easter holidays.
Operation UNITE is a multi-sector initiative, spearheaded by community leaders in Hong Kong, to draw the community together in unity of strength and optimism to fight against the challenges of SARS.
The volunteer team rolled up their sleeves to clean the homes of the elderly and distribute SARS prevention hygiene kits to singletons, disabled persons and the chronically ill.
In the coming issue, OffBeat will bring you more about the Force's efforts in combating Atypical Pneumonia.
Marine Police help the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill to spruce up their homes
The Great Clean-up: police volunteers at work