The establishment of HA Special Duty Cadre
COVID-19 redefined Hong Kong’s medical services, leading to the creation of the Chun Yeung team, the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, the Community Treatment Facility, and the Community Isolation Facility. In the early stages of the epidemic, the Hospital Authority (HA) sent medical teams to bring home Hong Kong residents stranded in Tokyo and Wuhan on government-chartered flights. HA also set up testing centres at the AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital for people arriving in the city. It was the lessons of this turbulent period that gave rise to the HA Special Duty Cadre (HASDC).
“HASDC consolidates the experiences gained in the past and was established after the epidemic to respond to large-scale emergency incidents. We will also equip ourselves to respond to other major incidents, for instance, mega event or emergency rescue operation,” explains HA Senior Manager (Infection, Emergency & Contingency) Andy Kung.
HASDC comprises over 120 members, including doctors, nurses, allied health and pharmacy, administrative and management staff. More than 50 of them have a higher level of experience and are referred to as ‘Hawks’ while the remaining members are called ‘Falcons’. They are divided into small teams and are provided with targeted training based on their background and expertise by the consultants and management team of HASDC. Dr Tsui Sik-hon, consultant and member of HASDC, adds that “members are enthusiastic to contribute their professional knowledge. They do not concern about working environment nor working hours. We are so proud to have such dedicated members.”
Regular drills ensure team members are ready to respond
HASDC regularly conducts drills with government departments and institutions to prepare for potential disaster scenarios and enhance coordination with each other. The diverse drills include hazardous substance, natural disasters or accidents that lead to large number of casualties, terror attack, airport and rail accidents, etc. HASDC will also participate in overseas emergency operations when required. One of the main tasks for HASDC this year is supporting the Hong Kong SAR Search and Rescue Team as it pursues recognition as a Medium Urban Search and Rescue Team by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG).“The United Nations (UN) sets guidelines for search and rescue teams to perform disaster response operations during major disasters, and INSARAG operates under the UN’s humanitarian coordination framework. It aims to enhance the efficiency and save more lives.” Consultant and member of HASDC Dr Axel Siu Yuet-chung explains that search and rescue teams are recognised in three capability and capacity levels – light, medium, and heavy – according to their competencies in management, search, rescue, medical, and logistics matters. A Medium Urban Search and Rescue Team should be competent in those five areas and able to apply complex search and rescue techniques. In order to strengthen team members' skillsets under an awful situation, HASDC organised pre-hospital amputation and management of crush injuries workshop under the leadership of the team’s consultants Dr Chan Tak-shing and Dr Chow Yuk-yin. Several doctors and nurses also participated in a five-day training programme at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy last year, taking part in two disaster simulation drills lasting up to 36 hours. It aimed at strengthening the collaboration between HASDC and the Hong Kong SAR Search and Rescue Team.
Provide full support to National Games
HASDC is currently focusing on providing medical support for the upcoming 15th National Games as well as the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games at the end of 2025. HASDC has already participated in test events to access the workflow and get familiar with the operation of the centres. All doctors and nurses in the team will be on standby at the competitions to provide quality medical services.