An enthusiastic phlebotomist

Tai Sau-wan
Health Care Assistant (Medicine)
Queen Mary Hospital

What keeps your passion in a career for 27 years? Tai Sau-wan says, “I fell in love with my job after all these years working with the outstanding bone marrow transplantation team. They taught me to treat the patients like family, and equipped me with the medical knowledge. It is a journey of continuous learning that keeps me passionate about what I do.”

Sau-wan joined the administrative department as a cleaner in 1994. A few years later, she was transferred to the Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Out-patient Clinic & Ambulatory Care Centre where she had been working until now. In retrospect, her then supervisor suggested her to apply for health care assistant training and obtain the qualification as a phlebotomist. “With the immense encouragement from my supervisor, I have developed a passion for learning. I am truly grateful for that.”

Earlier a psychiatric patient, who was diagnosed with leukemia, had made a scene at the waiting area of the HSCT Out-patient Clinic and refused to have his blood drawn. His parents were already in their old age and felt too helpless against the situation. That inspired Sau-wan who then put into action to study a mental health training course to acquire communication skills with patients. Ever since she put her knowledge into practice, the patient had stopped the bawling and would even roll up his sleeve for blood-taking when he came back for consultation. “My friend said the course was a bit costly. Nevertheless, if what I have learned could calm the patient down and facilitate the operation of the clinic, it is well worth it.”

The procedure of blood draw is not as simple as it looks. Recalling the SARS epidemic in 2003, Sau-wan honestly felt nervous every time she drew blood with the SARS patients. That said, she stood by her belief and overcame her fear, that is “better techniques would relieve the pain for patients, and more love and care would cheer them up.”