In the face of natural disasters, human life becomes very fragile. The winner of the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Year Award 2021" Dr. Hong Jizheng has seen all the lives caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons: "As a doctor, I try my best to save every wounded and sick on the front line. But what I hope most is that no one will lose their lives or be injured in the disaster." Hong Jizheng, a specialist in emergency department, began to participate in humanitarian services when he was a student. Invest in disaster preparedness research and teaching, and focus on humanitarian aid: "We should prevent disasters before they happen, and make preparations as early as possible before disasters strike, so as to minimize the impact of disasters."
Hong Ji, a specialist in emergency department, joined the Hong Kong Red Cross in 2008 as an overseas volunteer for humanitarian work. He has traveled to Sichuan and the Philippines to participate in emergency relief work for the Wenchuan earthquake and Haiyan typhoon. He also stayed in Tanzania, Africa for one year. , participating in local medical development projects and assisting in the training of medical staff. He is currently the deputy director of the "Institute of Disaster and Humanitarian Relief" at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As for the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Year Award" this time, Dr. Hung believes that the award does not only belong to him Personal glory: "Without the cooperation of family members, work partners, and different organizations, it would be difficult to accomplish anything. Disaster relief work is very much about teamwork. When we go to the disaster area, we have different divisions of labor. At the same time, we must support each other and work together under limited resources. Provide the best possible care for the wounded and sick.”
Dr. Hong Jizheng has traveled to disaster-stricken areas and developing areas many times to participate in the front-line disaster relief and disaster preparedness work.
Dr. Hong admitted that he had misunderstood the humanitarian relief work at the beginning, thinking that only experienced doctors could participate in overseas relief work.
During his public health course, Dr. Hung met colleagues from the Hong Kong Red Cross who were in charge of overseas rescue work. He learned that relevant agencies would provide a series of professional training for frontline volunteers, and there would also be a detailed briefing session before performing tasks. Let the medical staff know the latest situation in the disaster area, coupled with professional equipment and teams, so that the frontline personnel can perform tasks in safety.
During the training, Dr. Hong was dispatched to the disaster area: "At that time, I was like a blank piece of paper. I had just started training in the A&E department, and at the same time participated in the training of the Hong Kong Red Cross. After the Wenchuan earthquake, I was dispatched to the local emergency department. A small village, this is the first time I have set foot in the disaster area to participate in the rescue work.”
On May 12, 2008, a major earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province. Dr. Hong Jizheng and the Hong Kong Red Cross Medical Team rushed to the disaster area to participate in the rescue work.
Dr. Hung recalled that when he arrived in Wenchuan that day, he found that many affected people were suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease due to post-disaster stress. However, the supply of medicines was insufficient at that time and needed to be deployed and arranged.
He had met a mother-in-law with heart failure there, who refused to go to other big cities for emergency surgery, hoping to spend the rest of her life in a place she knew best.
Through overseas disaster relief work, Dr. Hung came into contact with the humanitarian spirit for the first time: "The humanitarian spirit is a concept that cannot be learned in medical specialist training. There are no textbooks or established formulas to refer to in humanitarian relief work. What we need to do is to help the affected groups according to local conditions. In this process, resources, patient wishes, local culture and supporting facilities need to be considered. Every patient has different needs, and we need to understand each person’s needs carefully. This is the spirit of humanity.”
The disaster relief work on the front line has made Dr. Hong experience the ruthlessness of natural disasters. He hopes to save more lives before the disaster strikes: "In the A&E department, we have seen many avoidable accidents resulting in fatal casualties. It is a doctor's duty to save lives. , but I want to be able to intervene before they get hurt. In the face of natural disasters, we can do more.”
Dr. Hung is currently focusing on disaster preparedness research and education, and is committed to raising the public's awareness of disaster preparedness. He also actively participates in education and training, and hopes to inject new energy into humanitarian work: "The future will be led by the younger generation, we will not From time to time, we cooperate with students majoring in public health to carry out various types of training, hoping that students have the opportunity to contact different groups and understand the needs of others. Everyone can take an extra step for the people around them, as long as everyone contributes, More people in need will be helped.”
Dr. Ang Jizheng led the students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to participate in a study tour organized by the Institute of Disaster and Humanitarian Relief.
Co-organized by the Hong Kong Red Cross and Radio Television Hong Kong, the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Year Award" aims to recognize those who have demonstrated the spirit of humanitarianism through practical actions in the society, promote more people's awareness of the spirit of humanitarianism, and inspire more people to join the ranks of humanitarian services.
This year, six people were awarded the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Year Award" and two were awarded the "Hong Kong New Humanitarian Force".
At the ceremony, Ms. Tsang Yunwen, Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Red Cross, praised the laureates for their selfless efforts and contributions to humanitarian work: "Thank you to the eight laureates who, with the spirit of caring for everyone around them, worked in different corners of the city, To lend a helping hand to the forgotten group, and to bring hope to those in darkness.” She also hoped that the stories of the winners could inspire more people to participate in humanitarian work. As long as everyone is willing to take an extra step, humanitarian work will be will continue to develop.
(Information and photos provided by customers)
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