In praise of those who fought against SARS
In Mid-August, Kowloon East (KE) Regional Commander, Mr Mak Man-poon held a presentation ceremony for KE Police Tactical Unit (PTU) officers who had been awarded the Hong Kong SAR Government Certificate of Appreciation to Staff Engaged in Combating Atypical Pneumonia Disease.
"In Kowloon East Region, the Amoy Gardens community was the hardest hit of all," said Mr Mak. "The KE PTU officers were deployed on the most vulnerable points along the frontline in support of those providing medical and health care and well-deserved their awards.
"It was something of a misfortune," he said, "when Police Constable Ko Wing-cheung of the KE PTU Yankee Company contracted SARS. But, during his days in hospital, he never missed an opportunity to motivate his colleagues and urge them to keep up their good work.
"I would like to take the opportunity here to express my deepest gratitude to the medical and health care professionals, especially the teams led by Professor Joseph Sung, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong. They saved the lives of many residents, including PTU's Mr Ko, while putting their own at risk.
"I hope that the award of the Certificates of Appreciation signed by the Secretary for the Civil Service, will inspire you all to continue working even closer together to ensure that this 'atypical strength' is maintained," concluded Mr Mak.
Later, there was a similar presentation ceremony for officers of Sau Mau Ping District and yet another for officers serving with KE (Operations), KE Emergency Unit, Wong Tai Sin District, KE (Crime) and KE (Traffic).
Kowloon East Police Tactical Unit officers pose at their Kai Tak Operational Base