Caring culture abounds in the Force
On November 17, 2010, Senior Inspector (SIP) Wong Siu-tsun of Marine Region was off duty, riding a bicycle along Ting Kok Road, Tai Po. Suddenly he was struck by a brain haemorrhage and fell off his bicycle. He was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital, where he remained in a coma for 10 days. He is recovering at home and his condition remains stable.
SIP Wong's wife, Lisanda, has talked to OffBeat about how she went through her difficult time in the past nine months.
Care and concern
The moment I arrived in hospital, Siu-tsun was still under urgent medical treatment. I was at a loss as what to do. Meanwhile, Ms Debbie Chang, the former Regional Commander of Marine, the Welfare Officer and his colleagues arrived. They comforted and helped me calm down. Their eyes showed their care and concern.
I finally saw Siu-tsun in ICU. He was still in a coma and in a critical condition. I was thankful to the Welfare Officer, Mr Gilbert Poon, and Police Clinical Psychologist (PCP), Ms Alison Mak, who looked after the emotions of our two daughters. Throughout that night till the early next morning the Welfare Officer remained with us. The next day, our daughters were relatively stable emotionally after seeing the PCP.
The Welfare Officer had arranged transport to take my daughters to the hospital from the airport after they arrived from the UK. This arrangement, seemingly minor as it was, reflected how much the Force cares about its staff.
"Operation Spring Drizzle" by volunteers
When Siu-tsun's condition became stable, his friends from Marine Region volunteered to lend a helping hand to retired Station Sergeant Kam Tze-hung who acted as the contact person and coordinator. They accompanied Siu-tsun to receive in-hospital therapy and acupuncture and to see a Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP). Moreover, They also did physical exercises with Siu-tsun and chatted with him to stimulate his brain power.
Meanwhile, team-mate Chan Kin-sun recruited volunteers for "Operation Spring Drizzle" via e-mail. Responses poured in immediately, underscoring the spirit of mutual assistance amongst Force members. Team-mate Lee Kin-chuen worked out a timetable for the volunteers. Thus a team of loving and selfless volunteers kept travelling back and forth between Shatin Hospital and the CMP's clinic.
Team-mate Albert Chan arranged a wheelchair for Siu-tsun while another team-mate, Leung Yun-keung, served as his volunteer driver. All the household repairs were taken care of by team-mate Yuen Chi-hung. "Operation Spring Drizzle" was our source of encouragement. The hospital and clinic staff members were so amazed by these wonderful people. The most important thing is Siu-tsun is recovering faster and better than expected. My family and I are very grateful for the care of the Force.
Rough road turned smooth
In the early days of my husband's hospitalisation, I was panicky and worried. During this difficult period, it was fortunate to have so much loving care from other people such as volunteers of Operation Spring Drizzle, senior officers and colleagues of Siu-tsun. I am also grateful for the constant support from the Welfare Officer who helps us solve financial problems and ensures Siu-tsun receives appropriate medical treatment. Whenever I told him my difficulties, he immediately got them solved. He is so meticulous and sincere. Our family takes him as a good friend.
The road ahead may be rough for us. It remains to be seen how well Siu-tsun would recover. Yet I am not afraid because of your help and support. The rough road has turned smooth! I salute you all on behalf of Siu-tsun! Siu-tsun should be proud of working in such a caring Force.
Support from the Force
Mr Poon told OffBeat: "It is always sad to learn that a colleague has received serious injuries. I still remember how I comforted Mrs Wong and assured her of our strong support on the day SIP Wong was sent to hospital. We stayed in the hospital all night because we were as worried as Mrs Wong about SIP Wong's condition. I was concerned about her emotion and needs, and followed up on her requests so that she could attend to her husband.
"It was so touching to see Marine officers, serving or retired and no matter personally knowing SIP Wong or not, demonstrate the Marine spirit of being 'in the same boat' in helping SIP Wong recover."
He felt that Mrs Wong is very tough and looks after her family without any complaint, adding that officers from Welfare Services Group (WSG) and different units tidied over the difficult period with Mrs Wong and her family, were as much worried as the family about SIP Wong's condition, and shared the family's relief on his gradual recovery.
Mr Poon said: "The gradual recovery is the best reward for us, and Mrs Wong's appreciation of WSG is our motivation for continuing to serve our colleagues and their families. I wish SIP Wong would get better and return to work soon."
With
the
help of his wife and AFWO Poon, SIP Wong tries his best to return
to normal life