WILL IN ACTION set up an Overseas Training Fund to support personnel involved in organ donation to study and exchange overseas. Ms. Tong Yuen-fen, who is currently an Organ Donation Liaison Officer of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, was allocated HK$25,000 to support part of the expenses of her attending a relevant advanced training in Spain. The training required Ms. Tong to attend a five-day face-to-face organ donation training course at the Faculty of Medicine the University of Barcelona, Spain from March 5th to March 9th, 2018, and on March 12th, 2018 A four-week internship at the Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain until April 6th.
Upon her return from Spain, Mis. Tong shared with us when she had learned from the course and her inspiration. Two of the points were related to public education and medical operations: 1) In Spain, organ donation was included in the subject of life and death education, which gives their citizens a positive attitude and respect towards organ donation. It is not a tabooed subject to discuss and communicate with family members. Spain also pursue an “opt-out scheme” for organ donation. 2) In the Spanish medical system, organ donation is included in the standard procedure for dealing with deceased persons. In contrast, every organ donation arrangement in Hong Kong needs to be coordinated with relevant medical units on a case-by-case basis. Miss Tang also expressed her views from a medical professional’s point of view.
WILL IN ACTION is pleased to report that public donations raised have been effectively used to promote professional training to enhance the effectiveness of organ donation in Hong Kong.