|
The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) is a government-financed
volunteer organisation established under the Auxiliary Medical Service
Ordinance. Its main role is to augment the regular medical, health and
ambulance services during an emergency and to supplement these services
in non-emergency situations. The AMS has an establishment of 4 418 volunteer
members, who come from all walks of life. The Director of Health is the
Commissioner of the AMS, and is responsible to the Chief Executive for
the efficient operation of the service, which has an establishment of
100 civil servants.
Under the health surveillance programme drawn up to
combat the SARS outbreak, the AMS assisted the Department of Health in
screening the temperature of all inbound and outbound visitors and other
travellers at the Hong Kong International Airport. This temperature screening
service was subsequently extended to cover all visitors arriving at land
and sea immigration control points, where on average 350 AMS members were
deployed daily until mid-November. At the peak of the SARS outbreak, the
AMS also mobilised members for duty at the medical stations set up in
the Amoy Gardens private housing estate, where they carried out temperature
checks on residents and also distributed SARS-related information. In
addition, AMS members reinforced the staff at the four designated medical
centres and the three isolation centres established under the mandatory
medical surveillance programme for persons who had had close contact with
SARS patients and the Amoy Garden residents who were required to undergo
the 10-day period of quarantine.
During weekends and public holidays, the AMS continues
to deploy a first-aid bicycle team on the 11-kilometre cycling track between
Tai Wai and Tai Po, under the Volunteer Service Programme. These first-aid
teams are able to treat most injured cyclists on the spot in minutes,
making it unnecessary for injured persons to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
First-aid bicycle teams are also on duty at a number of major events such
as the annual Hong Kong Marathon as well as the Walk for Millions, the
Trailwalker and other fund raising activities.
In other activities, the AMS assists the Education
and Manpower Bureau in running the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme
that encompasses various training modules such as basic first aid skills,
physical fitness training and team building. In 2003, 14 courses were
organised and 360 youngsters completed the training programme.
|
