2001 - How and When the Hong Kong Asthma Society (HKAS) was Born in Hong Kong
Dr William Chen, Respiratory Medical Department, Kowloon Hospital
During a Council meeting/Executive Committee meeting of HKTS/ACCP (HK & Macau Chapter) in the later half of 1988, the issue of forming a local patient-based Asthma Society was brought up. Glaxo promised to give us her strongest support in the establishment of the said society in Hong Kong. The first few members of the two chest societies nominated to sit in the organizing committee were Dr SL Chan, Chairman of HKTS, Dr WK Lam, President of ACCP (HK & Macau Chapter), Dr SY So and Dr Joseph Pang representing the two universities and Dr Alfred Tam representing the Paediatric group. I volunteered to participate and was accepted. Dr Robert Tseng and Dr Olivia Chow (paediatricians) were also invited to join the group. We started to look for suitable persons to join in as executive members. The first batch of laymen recruited were Mr CM Leung (Director of ICAC), Mr Law Chi Keung (Physiotherapist in Kowloon Hospital), Mr Kwok Ka Ming (head football coach of the Hong Kong Team), Miss Mary Cheung and Mr Joel Kwok. They were either parents of asthmatic children, asthma patients or celebrities who are interested in Asthma.
We must thank Glaxo for her generosity in providing manpower, venue and financial assistance in the course of preparation, Miss Anita Sin from PH Sin & Co providing free legal consultation and assisting us in the incorporation of The Hong Kong Asthma Society (HKAS) as a registered Co in Hong Kong ( incorporated on July 28 1989) and Dr Joel Kwok in persuading Mr TC Lin of Thomas Le C Kuen & Co to serve as our honorary auditor.
Miss Mary Cheung also contributed significantly in helping us to publish our medical columns in newspapers and TV programme books and approaching the directors of TV and Radio health programmes to invite us to appear in the media to publicize the HKAS to the public. After the organizing committee met more than six times to sort out problems and logistics, we felt that we were confident and mature enough to announce to the public the birth of the Hong Kong Asthma Society in October 1989.
Our big day was on the 7th October 1989 - our grand opening ceremony. We were honoured to have Dr CH Leong as our guest of honuor to deliver a speech on the impact of Asthma in Hong Kong. Dr WK Lam, the chairman of the HKTS then and Mr CM Leung, the first chairman of the Hong Kong Asthma Society also addressed the public in this important and memorable event. The meeting was held in the lecture hall of Duke of Windsor Building where many of our public talks were held later. The hall including the balcony was fully packed by the public. Including those participated in our exhibition held in the function room next door, an attendance of over 700 was recorded. With such an enthusiastic response we were very optimistic that such patient-based organization will gain wide public acceptance. All of us were very energetic to support the HKAS to grow. Most of the events organized in the HKAS were doctor lead. Dr Joel Kwok was another very devoted and active member who became the chairman from 1991-1997. In the Memorandum and Article, it has been stated that the medical advisors should only be nominated bythe HKTS.
The HKAS office was first located in Glaxo's office and later in the Wing On Department Store in Causeway Bay and so on. At first, we had only Miss Grace Chung working 3 afternoon sessions per week and now we have a full time staff of our own. Since 1993-94, HKAS has merged with CRN in organizing activities for our members. Since its inception, the society has been well supported by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, consisting mainly of our members to assist us in organizing activities for our members and publicize HKAS to the public. We have a regular newsletter with educational medical columns. Public lectures were delivered by our doctors and nurse specialists in lecture hall of various districts. All the educational materials of the HKAS were written by members from the 2 chest societies and we also helped the HKAS to design exhibition boards which were used in roving exhibition and other major activities.
I also represented the HKAS in a sharing session in running Asthma societies in the 3rd APSR held in Beijing in 1996. The HKAS has been well supported by the pharmaceutical firms including the donation of 0.25M each year by Glaxo for 3 years as the setting up expenses. Other companies, such as Astra, Zeneca, (later merged asAstraZeneca), Boehringer, Novartis, MSD, 3M have also supported the HKAS in the past decade.
Apart from CRN, we have partnered with other charitable organizations and public institutes to co-organise activities for Asthma education, such as the Lion Club and the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
There were two major events organized by the HKAS in the last century which had attracted significant public attention.
The Asthma Awareness Campaign, Hong Kong, 1997
The event was co-hosted by the HKAS and GlaxoWellcome.
The campaign was supported by the 3 local thoracic societies, HKTS, ACCP (HK & Macau Chapter) and the Hong Kong Society of Paediatric Respirology. This was the first asthma campaign ever held in Hong Kong.
Programmes included:
• A kick off ceremony in October 1997 where Dr CH Leong, our Legislative representative addressed an audience of 200 doctors and other health professionals;
• public lectures in various districts;
• lectures for doctors on the recent advances in the treatment of Asthma;
• a fun day where celebrities were invited to publicize the impact of Asthma in HKSAR;
• and a press conference, where 2 prominent local asthmatic athletes were invited to promote Asthma.
The activities lasted till February, 1998.
The First World Asthma Day on 11December 1998
The following programmes were co-organized with GINA:
• Lecture by adult chest physician and paediatrician for students in the Hong Kong Institute of Education on 28 November 1998:
> 300 attendants.
• A public lecture in the Auditorium of Duke of Windsor Building held on 1 December 1998delivered by an adult chest physician and a paediatrician:
250attendance.
• Asthma Fun Day on 6 December1998 at Cultural Center:
o hours programme attended by over 500 public
o Dr CH Leong was again our guest of honour.
o Celebrities were invited to speak on their experience in Asthma.
o Award of HK$2,000 each was presented to the 10 most outstanding students with Asthma (5 from Primary schools and 5 from secondary schools). Dr CH Leong (our representative in the Legislative Council), Mr SY Yu (representative from the Education Department), Dr CM Tam (representative from DH) served as our judges.
• A press release on 11 December 1998:
• One TV station, 2 radio stations and 10 reporters from various newspaper attended the session.
These events were supported by funding from a number of charitable organizations and drug firms.
