New HA Board Member: Be adaptable in the fight against the pandemic
Dr Thomas Tsang, former Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) who led Hong Kong’s battle against SARS in 2003 and swine flu in 2009, was appointed to the Hospital Authority (HA) Board at the end of last year amid the COVID-19 outbreak. He describes his new role as ‘both familiar and extraordinary.’ “My professional background is in public health and disease prevention but the board discusses a wide range of issues, so I have to keep learning from other members,” he says. “Fortunately, there are many familiar colleagues and friends in the HA, and they helped me a lot to be a part of this big family.”
Hong Kong has been impressively adaptable in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Tsang says. This is necessary as the pandemic presented a whole new world of complexities that made it impossible to stick only to previous practice. He praises the flexibility of the HA staff in finding solutions during various stages of the outbreak. For instance, during the initial phase, testing and triage stations in Accident & Emergency Departments were set up when there was a surge in suspected and confirmed cases, and second-tier isolation beds were quickly installed when first-tier isolation beds ran out due to surging demand.
As a member of the HKSAR Government Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines, Dr Tsang believes vaccination is a turning point in containing the pandemic. “I wasn’t surprised by the challenges faced by the vaccination campaign, indeed the same issues were there during the swine flu outbreak in 2009,” he recalls. “Many people were hesitant at first, but as they became more aware of the facts, they got accustomed to vaccination. I am happy that different sectors of the community are providing incentives to encourage vaccination, and I believe the outlook will turn out more positive as we go along.”
As a member of the HKSAR Government Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines, Dr Tsang believes vaccination is a turning point in containing the pandemic. “I wasn’t surprised by the challenges faced by the vaccination campaign, indeed the same issues were there during the swine flu outbreak in 2009,” he recalls. “Many people were hesitant at first, but as they became more aware of the facts, they got accustomed to vaccination. I am happy that different sectors of the community are providing incentives to encourage vaccination, and I believe the outlook will turn out more positive as we go along.”
Dr Tsang sees the pandemic as an opportunity for the HA to grow stronger. It has overcome many challenges, such as disseminating accurate information about the virus to the public, successfully treating the vast majority of patients, and gaining and maintaining people’s trust. These achievements have equipped the HA with experience and capabilities in moving forward, he says.
“The HA has developed a comprehensive sustainability plan, which I believe will bring a new scene for the future of healthcare services in Hong Kong”, he says. “I feel honoured to join the HA Board at this special moment and help build an upgraded version of the HA. I will strive to learn more about the expectations of the community and hope the HA will grow healthily together with the public.”
“The HA has developed a comprehensive sustainability plan, which I believe will bring a new scene for the future of healthcare services in Hong Kong”, he says. “I feel honoured to join the HA Board at this special moment and help build an upgraded version of the HA. I will strive to learn more about the expectations of the community and hope the HA will grow healthily together with the public.”