midst growing demand and heavy workload, our colleagues share common values in delivering quality healthcare services - taking extra care of patients, keeping their needs in mind, and going above and beyond the call of duty.

Here, HASLink shares some heart-warming stories about how colleagues in various hospitals go beyond their defined roles to add colours to patients' life. While circumstances and actions may differ, the willingness to take an extra step, no matter how small, does make a big difference.

Everybody needs companionship, especially patients suffering from end-stage disease and their relatives. Despite limited resources, healthcare workers at North District Hospital Hospice Centre go beyond their normal responsibilities to provide palliative patients with special physiotherapy treatment. They have also introduced Tai-chi in sitting style to enhance the physical fitness of patients with limited mobility and boost their self confidence. Colleagues at the Centre have even sacrificed their leisure time to help decorate the treatment room to make it cosy and homey .

The end-of-life journey is very stressful for cancer patients. To ease their suffering, oncology staff at Princess Margaret Hospital have taken the initiative to provide individualised care to patients with incurable cancer and intractable symptoms. Since 2008, the Hospital's palliative care nurses have been offering aromatherapy to patients who experience symptoms such as nausea, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, constipation, pain and lymphoedema. They even tailor-make treatment for individual patients with different essential oils to relieve symptoms, hoping non-invasive and less-harmful treatment will bring them comfort .

Two buses collided outside Shatin Hospital on 16 April morning. 60 people were injured. As soon as hearing the news, the on-call doctors, nurses and ward staff of the Hospital's Designated Response Team rushed to the scene to help assess the victims immediately and offer first aid. Some of our colleagues even raised umbrellas to shelter the carers and victims in heavy rain. Thanks to the efficient and professional efforts of the Hospital's medical team and senior management, all the victims were triaged to acute hospitals.

Cancer patient Mr Li is an optimist. Even though he knows his life may end any time, he engages himself in various activities, including painting, dancing and visiting fellow patients. Recognising Mr Li's talent as a painter, Tuen Mun Hospital staged an exhibition featuring 40 of his 200 masterpieces, and produced T-shirts, paper fans and cards depicting Li's paintings as souvenirs. The souvenirs were distributed to other patients to encourage them to adopt a positive outlook on life. Mr Li says he is greatly indebted to the Hospital, "I am overjoyed!", he added.