When Nursing Officer Ada Ng was told to execute an isolation order for residents of Amoy Gardens Block E during the SARS outbreak, the first thing she did was grab her uniform.

"I had not worn my uniform for a long time. I had to find out whether I could still put it on. I might have gained weight," she quipped.

Well suited: Nursing officer Ada Ng feels reassured whenever she puts on her uniform, which she says symbolises confidence, ability and professionalism.

"The truth is, my uniform gives me a sense of professionalism and signifies that I am performing duties on behalf of the Department of Health. It also reinforces my confidence in accomplishing the task."

The uniform's cap is particularly inspiring. Whenever she puts it on, she feels instantly a sense of mission and capability.

A special duty calls

Nurse Ng had been working in the department's Central Health Education Unit when she was deployed to handle SARS hotline enquiries during the outbreak.

On March 29, she was told to stand by for "a special assignment", and no other details were given.

When her superior called at midnight on March 30, telling her to report for duty at 6am the next day and issue the isolation order, she felt surprised because she had never anticipated such an assignment.

Qualified driver without experience

Hong Kong has not issued an isolation order since the 1964 cholera epidemic. Nurse Ng had learned about isolation orders from books, but she had little idea of what she actually had to do.

At that time, people did not know much about SARS either, including the source of the virus and modes of transmission. So she tried to get as much information as she could by searching materials on the Internet and ringing up specialist nurses and doctors of the department and the Hospital Authority.

"Actually, every nurse has attended courses on infectious disease control as part of basic training. But to me it is like having obtained a driving licence but without acquiring any driving experience."

In order to minimise the risk of infection, Miss Ng sought advice from specialists on how to put on, take off and treat protective clothes.

"We had to protect residents as well as all our colleagues," she said.

Nurse Ng had to lead a team of 12 to finish different tasks within a tight schedule, but she has learned from past experience not to get nervous and worried.

"Being a leader of this special task, other than professional knowledge and managerial skills, it is most important to have the ability to handle contingencies, have an analytical mind and decision-making power," she said.

"It was the first time in my career to issue an isolation order, and I hope it's the last."

Hand washing all-important

During the isolation period, nurse Ng had to supervise body checks for the residents, like taking their temperature and screening for early SARS symptoms.

More important still, she had to promote health education on personal and environmental hygiene among residents.

One of her tasks was to teach and demonstrate to residents how to wash their hands properly.

Mission accomplished through collaboration

Nurse Ng issued a removal order on April 1. They knocked on the door of each household, telling residents to move into two isolation camps temporarily and immediately.    

Then from April 8 to 10, she had to instruct residents on how to clean and disinfect their flats.

"I could not imagine how the residents would react to the removal order. I did not know whether they would become emotionally upset or hostile towards us. So I just prepared for the worst, and worked for the best."

She was very grateful for the help of other Government bodies, such as the Home Affairs Department, Police and psychologists.

"When we encountered problems or could not handle the situation, they immediately offered assistance. This spirit of collaboration to accomplish a task is commendable."

Nurse Ng was also impressed by the Auxiliary Medical Service, as its members volunteered to work at Amoy Gardens despite the high-risk nature of the task.