8 Sichuan earthquake SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2008 SUNDAY MORNING POST Youngsters, musicians and shoppers give generously Second medical Hongkongers open their team will head to Chengdu ...................................................... hearts and wallets to victims Dr Liu visited a hospital in Deyang Loretta Fong and Cheung Chi-fai yesterday afternoon. in Chengdu The authority will keep in close ...................................................... A fresh contingent of 19 doctors and touch with the mainland authorities nurses from the Hospital Authority and may send more doctors and Zoe Mak and Joshua But will be sent to West China Hospital in medical staff to help if necessary. From politicians to rock stars and Chengdu today and tomorrow The Hospital Authority’s director children, yesterday was a day the to help those injured in the Sichuan of quality and safety, Leung Pak-yin, community opened its hearts – and earthquake. said psychologists would be sent on bank accounts – to the victims of the The Hospital Authority’s Liu Wednesday to provide counselling Sichuan earthquake. Shao-haei announced the mission at services to the quake victims, espe- Just about every corner and shop- the end of his tour of the mainland cially those in the children’s ping mall had a collector – more than yesterday. The chief manager for in- hospitals. 60 organisations have been granted fection, emergency and contingency Ho Pak-leung, a University of permits to collect donations. Political had travelled with a team to the Sich- Hong Kong microbiologist, and two parties such as the Civic Party, the uan provincial capital on Thursday to colleagues from the Hospital Author- Democratic Party and the Demo- assess the situation at the city’s hos- ity, will head to the mainland today to cratic Alliance for the Betterment and pital and work out what personnel meet Ministry of Health officials to Progress of Hong Kong put aside and supplies were needed. discuss infectious disease controls their differences for the greater good. Dr Liu said the new team would for later stages of the recovery effort. Political rivals Anson Chan Fang be led by Lau Chor-chiu, chief of the On-sang and Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, accident and emergency department who contested the Legislative Coun- at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern HK Flying Service cil’s Hong Kong Island seat, both at- Hospital. tended a function at Times Square to Specialists in orthopaedics and joins relief effort call for donations for the victims. traumatology, infection control, Charities such as Unicef, the Sal- intensive care, operating theatres, A five-member Government Flying vation Army and World Vision Hong anaesthetics, physiotherapy, ne- Service team left yesterday for Kong directed their energies to vari- phrology, injuries and wound man- Sichuan to join the Hong Kong ous fund-raising events, aiming to agement would be part of the team. government’s search and rescue team capitalise on the fact most people In addition to providing medical on its dangerous mission. were off work for the weekend. expertise, the team members will The flying team, which will be James Wong, 13, said he was giv- also carry specialist medical supplies providing technical assistance, ing his pocket money for the month and equipment. consists of two pilots, two aircrew to the quake victims because so Dr Liu said that while West China members and an aircraft engineer. many had been at school. “It’s sad to Hospital had comprehensive facili- A service spokesman said the hear that so many schools fell down ties – including 4,300 beds – its med- team arrived in Chengdu and so many children died,” he said. ical workers needed specialist assis- yesterday afternoon, and would stay The Democratic Party and the tance, particularly in the orthopae- in Sichuan for at least a week. DAB also both held charity concerts dics department. They are based at an aviation base in Tuen Mun and Wong Tai Sin to The hospital had received 1,000 in the town of Guanghan, just outside raise money. patients by Friday, with 300 to 400 re- Chengdu, where a fleet of helicopters The Confederation of Trade quiring orthopaedic treatment. Doc- is stationed. The team will work with Unions and the Association for De- tors in the hospital have also per- the Ministry of Communications and mocracy and People’s Livelihood formed more than 70 amputations are on standby to fly key missions, collected donations in various dis- since the earthquake. such as evacuations and airdrops. tricts and will continue today. However, there were several pa- On Thursday, a 41-member rescue Tam Kwok-kiu, vice-chairman of tients waiting to undergo complicat- squad flew to Sichuan. It has been the Association for Democracy and ed operations, and the Hong Kong working in Mianzhu county , People’s Livelihood, said it hoped to doctors’ experience would be of after being assigned by the mainland raise HK$$100,000. much use, Dr Liu said. rescue command, searching a “I hope to help the victims to re- Several orthopaedic specialists collapsed administrative building at construct their homes,” he said. Hongkongers give generously to Volunteer Space yesterday in Causeway Bay, donating money for victims of the Sichuan quake. Photo: K.Y. Cheng from the authority will head to the the Dongfang Electric factory. “There’s an immediate need there. city tomorrow. They are expected to Acting director of Fire Services You feel really sad when you see the Henry’s two to 15 – began a “rea- provide clinical assistance during Chan Chor-kam said members of the people in the epicentre.” It’s sad to hear that so view dathon” at the Victoria TV fund-raiser helps complicated operations. team were experiencing serious The Federation of Trade Unions Shanghai Academy. Dr Liu said more patients were aftershocks, nearly a week after also collected donations at more many schools fell 14 School director Maggie likely to seek treatment at the hospi- Monday’s earthquake. than 100 locations across the city and down and so many Koong Mei-kei said old- push effort for quake tal, which would increase work pres- Mr Chan said more rescuers would will continue today. er students would read about earth- sures on the orthopaedics be deployed as necessary. The squad Independent musicians from the children died quakes, and younger ones would department. would stay in the disaster area for at punk, gothic and rock scenes showed ...................................................... read about caring and sharing. past the HK$1b mark The Post’s reporter at West China least seven days. their support with a charity music James Wong, 13, who donated Each student would look for Hospital witnessed how busy the Hong Kong Red Cross deputy festival at Aberdeen, cheered on by his pocket money sponsorships starting at HK$10 for 10 hospital was yesterday. secretary Wilson Wong Mok-fai said hundreds of excited fans. minutes of reading time, while the Hong Kong citizens have already “Huge resources will be needed for Many of the wards have been con- the biggest difficulty for rescuers was Tickets were HK$100 and all pro- school’s charitable trust would have a contributed a record of more than HK$1 rescue and reconstruction works in the verted into temporary orthopaedics that the transport network had been ceeds went to World Vision. matching fund aiming to raise billion to help victims of the Sichuan affected areas. I am calling on Hong areas due to the many patients re- destroyed. Tim Wong Kam-tim, one of the HK$500,000. earthquake. Kong’s people to help, no matter how quiring treatment for skeletal and “Roads heading to the most organisers and also vocalist of Won- The school donated HK$500,000 During a three-hour fund-raising little they can give.” muscular injuries. affected areas are not yet cleared.” der Garl, one of the bands perform- to help the earthquake victims on show Operation Relief for Sichuan The donations have already The doctors said they were so ................................................. ing, was grateful for the enthusiasm Thursday. Earthquake on TVB last night, several exceeded the HK$600 million which busy they were lucky to catch a few Eva Wu and Cheung Chi-fai of performers and the public at such The Kidney Foundation had hundred million dollars was added to was collected for victims of flooding in hours’ sleep each day. short notice. He said there were al- called for donations to buy haemo- the estimated HK$800 million collected eastern China in 1991. ready 10 groups lined up for a second dialysis machines as it estimated since the earthquake struck. Before the show, TVB chairman Sir show on Wednesday. 4,500 survivors would need immedi- All proceeds from last night’s show Run Run Shaw contributed HK$100 About 3,000 students – aged from ate treatment for kidney failure. will go to the Home Affairs Department million. A number of businesses also and the Hong Kong Red Cross, World contributed significant amounts to the Foreign rescue teams Vision, Oxfam, the United Nations relief effort. Children’s Fund and the Salvation Army. The Bank of China (Hong Kong) The fund-rasing campaign last night donated HK$10 million while HSBC refused visas in HK featured about a hundred entertainers, presented a cheque of 10 million yuan ...................................................... including Andy Lau Tak-wah, Jacky (HK$11.16 million) during the telecast. Mr McMartin said they had Liz Heron Cheung Hok-yau and Aaron Kwok Fu- Other donors included the Liberal learned from the United Nations shing, all dressed in white T-shirts for Party, which donated HK$12 million, Two international disaster response website before leaving that no official the sombre occasion. and the Hang Seng Bank and Cathay teams that flew to Hong Kong and request had been made by the central Movie star Liza Wang Ming-chuen, Pacific, with HK$2 million.