Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Tung Chee Hwa, Monday expressed to all nurses in Hong Kong the most heartfelt gratitude and utmost respect on behalf of the government and the people of Hong Kong.
At the International Nurses Day ceremony on Monday, Tung Chee Hwa said, "Without your sacrifices and your devotion in caring for the sick, we would not have made as much progress as we have in fighting severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)."
He said the public's admiration and trust for the nursing professionals have been perfectly summed up in the term "Angels in White."
"The battle against SARS has not only demonstrated once again how much you deserve this reputation, it has also added to the luster of that reputation," he added.
The ceremony was held by the Hospital Authority for citing nursing professionals' great contributions to the anti-SARS campaign.
Chinese Vice-Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi sent a congratulatory message to Hong Kong nursing professionals on the occasion of the International Nurses Day.
She said in the message that with love and care, health care workers rescued lives of many people in Hong Kong, maintained the happiness and safety of Hong Kong residents. They have won appraise and respect from people in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
Chairman of HK Hospital Authority Leong Che Hung said at the ceremony that in the past two months, Hong Kong nursing professionals showed great selflessness and high sense of responsibility in rescuing SARS patients.
More than 20,000 nurses are working at various hospitals in Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2003)
