rontline colleagues face a higher risk of occupational injury when caring for patients. If you are working at KWC, there is nothing to worry about. A team of six in the Department of Occupational Medicine (DOM) at Princess Margaret Hospital will take good care of you.

"We offer one-stop service for staff working at Kowloon West Cluster, covering diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation. Simply call our hotline, an appointment can be arranged within a week," said Dr So Hin-pan, doctor-incharge of DOM.

This personalised service offers extensive follow-ups and work ability evaluation. Recovery plan will be designed for staff resuming duty, with suggestions on task adjustment so as to enhance recovery.

To make sure recovering staff can safely meet the job demands, doctor will communicate with patient's superior and colleagues. "We suggest patients avoid long work hours, night shifts and intense physical labour when they go back to work."

Since patients and doctors are colleagues in the same cluster, trust and understanding can be easily built between the two. In a user opinion survey conducted between April 2009 and March 2010, the majority of respondents were satisfied with the service. "Our team works closely with clinical staff and we would squeeze time for urgent cases. So far we have treated more than 1,000 cases," said Dr So.

DOM believes prevention is better than cure. That's why they launched two programmes for staff between 2009 and 2010. The first one is "Ergonomic Consultation Service (ECS)" coordinated by occupational therapist Mr Patrick So. He said, "Precaution is the basis of this programme, which customises work procedures, tools, environment and system for colleagues suffering from muscle pain." Mr So also gives advice on the selection of suitable computer devices and workplace interior design. Their dedication and professionalism has earned ECS the Bronze Award in the third Hong Kong Outstanding OSH Staff Award Scheme (manager stream).

Another programme, "Exercise Consultation and Prescription Service (ECPS)", provides health check for staff through simple examinations. Participants can be tested to assess their cardiopulmonary fitness, endurance, flexibility and strength. Physiotherapist Mr Eric So is the backbone of the programme. "People know the importance of exercise, but doing it regularly is another issue. After assessment, patients will be prescribed simple exercises that can be done in open area without using any tools. Now we have 130 participants. I hope they will share the exercise prescriptions with their friends, family and neighbours. Having a companion to exercise with can keep you motivated." he said.

Started up in 2005, DOM is one of the first occupational medicine departments in HA. It is keen to extend its scope of services. "We hope to have a larger budget in 2012/13 and expand the service to cover mental health," said Dr So Hin-pan.