Police Constable Mr Ko Wing-cheung triumphantly returned to work at Marine North Division (MNDIV) after spending several weeks on the verge of death from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Mrs Ko accepting a Letter of Appreciation from Commissioner Mr Tsang Yam-pui

In an interview with OffBeat, Mr Ko said he was happy to be back where he belonged. He said: "My doctor said that judging from my poor condition in early May, my recovery was indeed a miracle. But I don't consider it to be a miracle. Instead, my recovery is the result of the encouragement, support and hard work of various parties - my wife, doctors, colleagues and the care of Force Welfare Officers."

Mr Ko joined the Force in 1993 and served in the Marine Police except for the periods he received training in the Police tactical Unit. In March this year, while he was attached to the Kowloon East PTU Yankee Company, he was deployed to help implement the isolation order on Amoy Gardens Block E. He also assisted in home isolation checks on those who had had close contact with SARS patients.

Ordeal in hospital

Mr Ko was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital in the small hours of April 13 because of fever and muscular pain. In the afternoon of that day, his doctor decided to prescribe heavy dosages of steroids and Ribavirin because chances were high that he might have contracted SARS.

He recalled: "At first, I didn't worry too much about myself. I believed that people of my age would recover very quickly and would certainly not die. But I changed my mind soon after I learned that a 28-year-old man had died of SARS. I really started to become quite scared.

"What I cared about most was my family. What if I passed on the virus to my wife, two little sons and my mother-in-law. I had also had close contact with my own parents who lived upstairs. My parents and my mother-in-law were all over 60 years old and my father was chronically ill. Needless to say, I was also worried about my colleagues and my buddies in the platoon."

Unfortunately, a few days later, Mr Ko's three-year-old son was confirmed to have contracted SARS. Then, on April 19, Mr Ko's wife was also admitted to hospital with SARS and their eight-year-old son had to undergo SARS-related treatment.

Looking back, Mr Ko's battle against the disease was like treading a path beset with difficulties.

Mr Ko said: "When the doctor first prescribed Ribavirin for me, my fever was lowered. He told me that I was recovering well and that I should be discharged from hospital in 15 days. No one foresaw that my condition would suddenly deteriorate in early May.

"In late April, I started to have a fever once again and it was to last for more than a week. One morning, I had an X-ray taken and the doctor said there must have been a mix-up of X-ray images because it showed that my lungs were clouded. After I had another X-ray, however, it was confirmed that my lungs were indeed in a poor state. That same afternoon, I was unable to breathe on my own and had to rely on assistance from a breathing apparatus. My doctor was considering transferring me to the Intensive Care Unit."

Mr Ko also remembers how he almost died when he attempted to go to the toilet. "I tried to get out of my bed, but soon realised that I couldn't stand up on my own. I was in deep pain just breathing. I couldn't utter a word to ask for help. I thought that I was going to die right there.

"I had never imagined that breathing could be so difficult. It was as if I had an iron plate above my chest. Breathing was like pouring water on a hot iron plate. It was so painful."

After Mr Ko showed no response to Ribavirin, his doctor exhausted all the other drugs available, including the cocktail therapy used for AIDS patients. However, he still showed no progress at all.

Thanks to the efforts of New Territories North (NTN) Assistant Police Welfare Officer Ms Katherine Siu Wan-yeung, Chinese University Professor Joseph Sung then took over the case. After the Professor applied a new antipyretic and serum therapy, Mr Ko's condition gradually became stable. His condition continued to improve and he was well-enough to be discharged from hospital on May 16.

Police Welfare Officers at work

While Mr Ko was fighting hard against the disease in hospital, the Force Welfare Officers in NTN, KE and Marine Region were busy helping his family ride through the hard times. They delivered daily necessities to Mr Ko's home and hospital, and cared for his children until the parents had completed their convalescence.

Mr Ko said: "They were attentive to every detail. Even though SARS was raging throughout Hong Kong, they still went to the hospital to supply daily necessities such as facemasks to my family members and me. When I was depressed, they talked to me and called upon me to cheer up. Their assistance helped me to concentrate my efforts on fighting the disease."

According to Mr Ko, encouragement and support from his superiors and colleagues also helped him to win this uncomfortable battle. Even his buddies at the Police Training School helped him by tidying up recently allocated new quarters so that his little children could move into their new home as soon as they recovered.

"When I was frustrated, PTU Yankee Company Commander, Ms Yolanda Chan Mei-pui, comforted me. And it was most encouraging when I received Commissioner Mr Tsang Yam-pui's call. His words did encourage me not to give up.

"When my sons were discharged from hospital, and my wife and I were still convalescing, colleagues visited my new home and helped my family purchase furniture. I remember how Ms Katherine Siu had always answered my calls - even at very late hours of the day. I didn't know her beforehand and I was really touched that she cared so much for me.

"I greatly appreciate that there is a 'Visit to Hospitalised Officers Service' as provided by the Welfare Services Group of the Personnel Services Branch," he added.

Preparing for the worse

When Mr Ko's condition had deteriorated, he realised that he might well die. So he prepared for that eventuality. He said he would never forget the time he made a decision to write his will.

"While I was writing a will in favour of my wife, she suddenly appeared before me in the ward and she asked me what I was writing. I remembered that I had promised her that I would fight the disease to the end, so I didn't want her to know that I was writing a will. I lied, and said I was just writing a record of my illness.

"Later, I telephoned my elder brother to arrange to fax him a copy of my will. He became angry and told me that I was being stupid. That made me feel quite bad because it seemed that I really was preparing to die.

"I wasn't exactly afraid of dying, but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my wife, my parents and my sons behind. I knew that I had to win the battle."

Support from Mr Ko's wife was probably the major driving force behind his recovery. The couple had been in the same ward since Mrs Ko was struck down by SARS. She chose to stay in the hospital to accompany her husband even after she had recovered from SARS. "Every night, my wife came to my bed to look at my heart rate and my oxygen level. She came as many as 10 times a night to make sure that I was all right."

It was not only the nurses in the SARS ward who were moved by what Mrs Ko had done, Commissioner Mr Tsang Yam-pui also presented her with a Letter of Appreciation at a ceremony in early August acknowledging the Force's recognition to her willingness to share the hardships as well as the comforts with her husband.

Eager to serve the community

After recovering from this potentially fatal disease, Mr Ko said he would work even harder than before.

He said: "I used to complain when I was given an additional task. From now on, I will not complain. I feel good because I can stand up again and the Force has been so good to me. Nothing in this world is worse than death. Nothing in this world is worse than being breathless. Now, I can fully appreciate how pleasant it is to take a deep breath in comfort.

"My wife correctly pointed out that after the illness, my life no longer belongs to me alone because so many different people had played a part in saving it.

"Police officers are tasked with the important job of protecting the public. If the clock was turned back and the same thing happened again, I wouldn't hesitate to take my superior's orders to go to Amoy Gardens. Just like those medical officers who risked their lives to save others, I couldn't stand back when confronted with a dangerous situation," he concluded.

Marine Region Assistant Police Welfare Officer Ms Greta Yuen (left), Kowloon East APWO Ms Alice Ho (second from right) and New Territories North APWO Ms Katherine Siu (far right) and Mr Ko's family

Kowloon East Regional Commander Mr Mak Man-poon presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Police Constable Mr Ko Wing-cheung