Auxiliary Medical Service
The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) is established under the Auxiliary
Medical Service Ordinance. It was formerly a unit of the Essential
Services Corps established in 1950 under the Essential Services Corps
Ordinance. The main role of the AMS is to augment regular medical and
health services in times of natural disasters and emergencies, as well as to
supplement regular medical services in times other than emergencies.
The AMS is a volunteer service with an establishment of 5 258 members
and 99 permanent staff. Operational staff and members receive training in
different areas, including disaster management, paramedic, casualty
evacuation, life saving and home nursing. Senior AMS staff often attend
emergency/disaster medicine conferences overseas or within the territory
so as to maintain and update the service's standards. In 1996, two staff
attended paramedical training in the Justice Institute of British Columbia,
Canada.
The AMS is the government organisation responsible for qualifying first
aiders. In 1997, 3 250 people were awarded first aid certificates by the
AMS. In addition to providing the basic training programmes, the AMS
also assists government departments to design tailor-made modules to suit
the needs of individual departments. Upon request, the AMS will also give
advice on safety management within working premises to provide a safer
and healthier working environment.
With the commencement of the Occupational Safety and Health
Regulation in June 1997, the AMS, together with the Occupational Safety
and Health Council, have jointly organised first aid courses starting from
August 1997 for the targeted population affected by the regulation.
In the summer of 1997, the AMS launched a Youth Ambassador Scheme
to encourage youths to adopt a healthy life style, as well as to develop
their sense of citizenship through participation in various programmes,
such as life skills training, recreational activities and community services.
A total of 250 youths aged from 11 to 16 residing in the New Territories
West joined this meaningful scheme and attended a series of training
programmes conducted by the AMS.
Other services provided by the AMS included: first aid coverage at
country parks, cycle tracks, school activities and major public functions
such as the 1997 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the
International Monetary Fund; paramedical assistance at accident scenes
by the AMS Emergency Response Task Force; non-emergency
ambulance transfer service for patients requiring transfer services; daily
manning of 21 methadone clinics; and round-the-clock clinical services
at sick bays of Vietnamese migrant detention centres.
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