XN000022-1978-05-08 — Page 5

MONDAY, MAY 8, 1973

AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE SETS TWO RECORDS

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THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE HAS SET TWO RECORDS IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR BY CARRYING OUT MORE DUTIES AND PUTTING IN MORE MANHOURS THAN EVER BEFORE.

DURING THE YEAR 1977/78, IT HANDLED 600 ASSIGNMENTS INVOLVING 22,000 MANHOURS COMPARED WITH 400 ASSIGNMENTS AND 15,400 MANHOURS IN 1976/77.

STAFF OFFICER OF THE AMS, MR. K.C. TONG, SAID THE BIG INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DUTIES OF THE SERVICE REFLECTS THE EVER GROWING GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY BUILDING AND EDUCATION EY ORGANISING NUMEROUS PUBLIC ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

+WHENEVER THESE ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE, WE ARE CALLED OUT TO HELP PROVIDE FIRST AID SERVICE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY,+ MR. TONG SAID.

+AT MAJOR INCIDENTS SUCH AS FIRES, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, LAND- SLIDES, FLOODINGS AND HOUSE COLLAPSES, WE ARE ALSO CALLED OUT TO THE SCENE TO RENDER FIRST AID AND TO EVACUATE CASUALTIES,+ HE ADDED.

DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS CF EACH YEAR OUR MEMBERS ACT AS LIFE GUARDS TOC ON GAZETTED BEACHES OR PUBLIC SWING POCLS, HE SAID. MEMBERS ALSO HELP IN ADMINISTERING METHADONE AT DETOXIFICATICA CENTRES FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS SOME MEMBERS EVEN VOLUNTEER FOR DUTY AT AMEULANCE DEPOTS.

IN PAST YEARS WE HAVE TAKEN PART IN HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS AND MANNED CHOLERA QUARANTINE CENTRES.

THE AMS WAS FORMED IN 1950 WITH THE AIM OF AUGMENTING THE REGULAR MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES. TODAY IT IS THE LARGEST VOLUNTEER FORCE IN HONG KONG WITH ABOUT 90 TEAMS COMPRISING NEARLY 6,000 MEMBERS WHO CAN BE MOBILISED AT SHORT NOTICE.

ITS MEMBERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AND ABOUT 4,000 ARE IN THE 20 TO 30 AGE GROUP.

SOME 1,600 VOLUNTEERS ARE DOCTORS, NURSES, DISPENSERS, RADIO- GRAPHERS AND PARA-MEDICAL PERSONNEL SERVING EITHER IN GOVERNMENT OR IN PRIVATE MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.

+APART FROM MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, ALL RECRUITS ARE GIVEN AN INITIAL 40-HOUR BASIC FIRST AID TRAINING AND DRILL AT WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, + MR. TONG SAID.

+TRAINING RELATED TO CASUALTY HANDLING, NURSING, THE MANNING OF AMBULANCE DEPOTS AND OTHER PRACTICAL WORK AT HOSPITAL WARS AND CASUALTY DEPARTMENT ARE ALSO BEING PROVIDED. AFTER THAT ADVANCED CCURSES IN LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATION, AND SUPERVISORY TECHNIQUES AS „ELL AS TRAINING WILL BE GIVEN, + HE SAID.

MR. TONG POINTED OUT THAT AS THE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES ORGANISED 20TH IY THE GOVERNMENT AND VAFICUS VOLUNTARY BODIES INCREASES IN THE FUTRUE, IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE AMS WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY.

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