Press Releases

Community shows support for affected residents

Since the outbreak of the atypical pneumonia, the community has shown tremendous support towards people who have been affected.

Social Welfare Department (SWD) yesterday (April 3) sent out a team of 12 clinical psychologists and social workers to visit the Amoy residents temporarily staying at the three holiday camps at Lady MacLehose, Sai Kung and Lei Yue Mun Park.

Dividing into three groups and each comprising two social workers and two clinical psychologists, the professionals had sought to understand the problems encountered by the residents staying in the three camps while providing emotional support to them.

Apart from answering queries and providing immediate counselling, the professionals handed out information leaflets, and provided advice to the residents on how to cope with their problems in a more positive way. The professionals had also explained methods to help their children adjust to their new living environment.

A Government spokesman said: "To relieve the emotional stress of the Amoy residents, the SWD will at the request of the residents, contact the medical social workers in the hospitals and relay to them the condition of their relatives now staying in the hospitals."

The Government had stepped up cleansing the camps. Echoing a supportive and caring community spirit, many individuals and organisations had made kind offers to those serving the "isolation order" in the holiday camps and donated items were being delivered to them.

Besides, a telecommunications company had agreed to install telephones, facsimile machines and computers, and provided broadband service free of charge to the holiday camps. At present, telecommunications facilities had been installed and put to use in the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village while installation work at the other two camps would be completed shortly.

The spokesman said: "We are very grateful to the concerns expressed by the various sectors for the affected residents in the camps. The residents are now getting used to living there."

Staff of SWD last night brought various items into the camps for residents including daily necessities, radios with earphones, toys for children, books, etc. Leaflets on 20 counselling hotlines were distributed so that residents could call for assistance if needed.

SWD has been trying to relieve the emotional stress of affected residents with the provision of clinical psychologists, social workers and hotlines. The Department has also arranged catering and buying necessary items for daily use for the affected residents, as well as provided financial assistance to eligible people who are in need of aid.

End/Friday, April 4, 2003
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