Heroes tribute: Shelley Lee describes the 'human side' of the fight against SARS - and the doctors who gave their lives helping others.

The professionalism of medical and healthcare workers, unity of purpose, solid community support and the transparency of Hong Kong Government policies all contributed to Hong Kong's courageous and successful fight against SARS, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs said.

Speaking on "The Human Side of the SARS Outbreak in Hong Kong" at a luncheon in Vancouver today, Shelley Lee shared her thoughts on the human side of the fight against SARS in Hong Kong.

"Every generation produces its heroes, often through tragic circumstances, and SARS has produced our very own," Ms Lee said.

She cited such heroes as the late Dr Joanna Tse, Dr Kate Cheng and others who made the ultimate sacrifice by volunteering to work in SARS wards, losing their lives in the process. They had redefined the meaning of "volunteerism" for Hong Kong people.

She expressed her thanks to researchers at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong for their speedy identification of the new variant of the coronavirus which was later proved to be the infectious agent of the SARS outbreak.

The excellence of Hong Kong's research community was a particular source of pride, she said, noting that to date Hong Kong had accounted for about 50% of all scientific papers published on SARS. She also lauded healthcare workers for their complete professionalism and their heroic efforts to care for patients.

During the SARS outbreak, mutual support had played an important role in the fight against a common enemy. Ms Lee emphasised that mutual co-operation was the only effective way to combat this new global health threat, and Hong Kong was determined to maintain the transparency of its policies and its system.

"Hong Kong's determination to learn quickly from our experience from others is obvious from the speedy establishment of the SARS Expert Committee, which operates independently through two groups led by international experts Sir Cyril Chantler and Professor Sian Griffiths. We, and indeed the world, await the outcome of the Expert Committee's findings," she said.

The SARS Expert Committee was appointed by Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa in May to review the management and control of the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong.

Ms Lee said she was deeply impressed with the strength and resilience shown by the families affected by SARS, especially by single parents and their children. By their sheer resilience, these children had borne testimony to the strength of the spirit of Hong Kong, indeed of the human spirit.

Hong Kong people from all walks of life had performed numerous small miracles, including raising $150 million to help those who were affected by SARS, she added.

Included in this sum was $76 million for the "We Care Education Fund" intended for children who lost parents to SARS. Ms Lee was a co-founder of the fund.

The lunch was co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada and the Chinese Entrepreneur Society of Canada.