Hong Kong doctor who joined quake relief efforts in Turkey last year shares her story in hopes others will join future missions
- Dr Cecilia Fan hopes sharing her experiences of helping survivors after last February’s earthquake in Turkey will encourage more medical specialists to join relief efforts
- Medical veteran at Hong Kong’s Department of Health also honoured in Beijing by National Health Commission for contributions to rescue mission
A doctor who joined Hong Kong’s search and rescue efforts in Turkey following an earthquake last February has shared her experiences of working in a disaster zone in the hopes of convincing more medical practitioners to volunteer.
Dr Cecilia Fan Yuen-man, who was earlier honoured for her contributions, said talking to medical workers and students in sharing sessions had also reassured potential joiners that they could count on their families for support in such difficult situations.
“Our team members shared that their family members were also worried about their safety when they headed to Turkey, but once they realised the thing that the team is doing is very meaningful, everyone became very supportive,” she said.
“This sharing made [the attendees] realise that they will still receive support from their family even if they find it dangerous, which means that this issue can be overcome.”
The family medicine consultant, who has worked with the Department of Health for 31 years, said Hong Kong had no shortage of top medical talent suited to humanitarian work, but encouraging people to join and bringing together them was the hardest part.
Fan, 55, was among 59 rescuers sent to Turkey early last year to help recover survivors after the country was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed tens of thousands in the region.
She led the department’s four-person team on the mission, which also included another family medicine specialist and two public health nursing officers.
The four medical professionals were responsible for ensuring their teammates remained physically and mentally healthy throughout the effort, as well as providing medical advice on how to help survivors recovered during the mission.
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On December 29, the country’s National Health Commission in Beijing awarded Fan the National Outstanding Individuals in the Foreign Medical Aid commendation for her work as part of the rescue mission.
The doctor said she felt very honoured to receive the award, yet stressed the country was not only recognising her efforts, but that of the entire rescue team.
Looking back, Fan said her most unforgettable moment during the mission was learning that the Hong Kong team had managed to save three people in a single day.
“I was very emotional, I could not stop myself from crying,” she said. “I held the hands of the rescuers to thank them, as it was really hard for us to be able save people.”
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Fan described the situation in the disaster zone as a shock, with the team coming across numerous ruined buildings that could have contained trapped earthquake victims.
She also vowed to continue encouraging others to take up humanitarian rescue work and explaining how different specialists could contribute to disaster relief efforts, noting medical workers could perform a variety of roles in such situations.
“Actually there are many different roles for people to conduct medical work in a disaster zone,” Fan said. “As long as people have the heart for it, I actually think that people can contribute in different roles.”
