In Hong Kong, an ageing population and a growing number of chronic diseases have pushed a rising need for health care services. But the public recognition encourages the sector’s hard-working practitioners, and helps raise standards. This year, Classified Post, cpjobs.com, and Jiu Jik have joined forces to inaugurate the Healthcare Spirit Awards 2017 to recognise excellence and dedication in the health care industry and salute the extraordinary efforts of its practitioners in serving patients, colleagues, and society as a whole.
Explaining the motivation for the award, Alex Ho, general manager, recruitment, circulation and syndication business for the South China Morning Post, says, “Over the years, the workload of the health care services industry’s practitioners has been greatly increased. An ageing society also leads to rising pressure on our health care system, which means the industry is constantly suffering from labour shortages. Doctors and nurses work in a very stressful environment every day.” Ho expects that in conjunction with associates and practitioners, the awards are sure to be well received by the health care industry and will set a higher bar for service excellence in the industry in general.
There are five awards in total: “Spirit in Nursing 2017”, “Spirit in Care Work 2017”, “Spirit in Long-Serving Nursing 2017”, “Spirit in Nursing/Care Work (Team Award) 2017”, and “Inspiring Stories”.
“Health care professionals play an important role at all times in helping patients to relax physically, psychologically and socially,” Ho says. “We strongly believe that practitioners can do great work and inspire their colleagues only if they maintain their caring spirit when looking after patients.
This will allow them to provide patients with excellent care, helping them to a speedy recovery. Excellence in health care spirit can maintain both the quality and standard of services provided, and create professional health care teams. This all helps attract more people to work in the industry, relieving its manpower shortage.”
Ho believes the awards can help establish a long-term and sustainable platform for health care practitioners to exchange working experiences and forge relationships.
“We also expect these awards will inform the public about the health care industry, giving them a better understanding of practitioners’ dedication and contribution. This will underline the praise and thanks health care professionals are due.
We hope the industry as a whole will get a boost from these awards, raising the morale of those who work in it, reigniting their passion to serve, and encouraging them to provide patients with the highest quality of service.”
In conclusion, Ho urges people to actively nominate their practitioners.
“We sincerely hope that employers can nominate their employees so that their dedication and contribution will be recognised. The awards can also help promote and maintain excellence in care-giving. Nominations from the public will also be accepted, allowing patients and their family members to show appreciation for the assistance and service provided by professionals.”
The Healthcare Spirit Awards 2017, organised jointly by Classified Post, cpjobs.com and Jiu Jik, has invited prominent figures from the health care industry to join the judging committee. One of them is associate head of the division of nursing and health studies at the Open University of Hong Kong, Professor Linda Lee Yin-king .
Professor Lee explains that, in addition to an ageing society, a growing number of infectiously ill people (those with a chronic disease) and a trend that has seen the average age of such patients fall have driven rising demand for community health care services. Those patients who can take care of themselves live at home rather than in hospital. However, they still require health care services. On top of this, there is a need for more big hospitals as well as larger, well-equipped elderly nursing homes to be constructed over time. All will need to hire a large number of health care workers to serve the public.
“Based on the aforementioned reasons,” Professor Lee says, “I can foresee the community having a rising need for health care workers in the coming eight to ten years.” Giving an example, she says there will be a need for community psychiatric nurses. That includes those stationed in schools to give assistance to selected students. “I can say that in the near future, there will be a need for health care practitioners of different types. Besides registered nurses, the community needs support staff such as community health care workers, and volunteers as well.”
Expertise and skills are both important for health care practitioners. Professor Lee agreed to join the judging panel because she feels the awards are meaningful. “The health care industry is a highly professional one. Practitioners learn from textbooks and internship programmes before working in the industry. After taking up their jobs, they deliver services based on what they have learned. If they enter these awards, they can review their working performance and also learn from role models. This way, they can improve and, in return, raise the standard of the services they provide.”
In conclusion, Professor Lee says, “As I know, there are many practitioners in the health care industry who do excellent work. They deliver services with dedication. Patients can sense that too. I very much hope I can contribute a little to giving these practitioners recognition and commending them.”
Judging panel
Eva Yeung, vice-chairman, Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff
Dr Crystal Cheng Lai-ling, business director, Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Prof Thomas KS Wong, president, Ginger Knowledge Transfer and Consultancy
Prof Eric Chan, dean, School of Health Sciences, Caritas Institute of Higher Education
Prof Linda Yin-king, associate head, Division of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong
Dr Angela E Chan, associate professor and associate head (undergraduate education), School of Nursing, Polytechnic University
Please submit the completed nomination form together with the relevant documents before 5pm on November 5, 2017 (postmark date) by:
（1）Mail: South China Morning Post Publishers Limited, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, New Territories, Recruitment and Education Business. Please indicate “Healthcare Spirit Awards 2017” on the envelope.
（2）Email: classifiedpost@scmp.com, with the subject line: “Nomination – Healthcare Spirit Awards 2017”.
Nominate now at scmp-hsa.com
Carmen Cheung
