Today is the 28th day of the last lunar month, so I would like to start off by wishing you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year! The Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme was established by the Office of The Ombudsman in 1997. Over the years, a number of departments and colleagues under the Development Bureau have received the awards. Among them is a young engineer, Miss LEE Kit-chun, who received the Ombudsman’s Award for Officers of Public Organisations last year. She works in the Municipal Sector Division of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), providing electrical and mechanical support and maintenance services for municipal facilities, as well as handling public enquiries and complaints. During the COVID-19 outbreaks, she and her team have been committed to supporting the anti-epidemic work. This time, I have invited her to introduce her work and share with us her experience of serving the public with the conviction that “Nothing about people's livelihoods is trivial”.

“Nothing about people's livelihoods is trivial”

Miss LEE Kit-chun cited the replacement of an old escalator in Sai Ying Pun Market in 2020 as an example. Back then, one of the escalators was found to be unstable after replacement, causing public concern. She and her team followed up promptly, reviewing the design and maintenance records, as well as conducting a number of comprehensive inspections and tests with the contractor to solve the problems as soon as possible. As a result, the cause of the instability was identified and adjustments were made accordingly. She then reported the findings and follow-up actions to the public. Miss LEE Kit-chun says, “nothing about people's livelihoods is trivial”, and it is her duty to get the job done. Her team takes the public's feedback seriously and proactively, going the extra mile to do a better job and provide appropriate assistance to the public.

Supporting anti-epidemic work

Moreover, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the EMSD has been assisting various departments and public organisations in providing professional services to support the anti-epidemic work. Miss LEE Kit-chun says that in the early stage of the epidemic, the department promptly retrofitted various government premises, such as government buildings as well as leisure and recreational facilities, with body temperature screening systems to strengthen body temperature screening and enhance the efficiency of temperature testing. Besides, mobile air handling units or mobile air filters were installed in markets to improve ventilation and increase air exchange.

All projects with the same deadline - “as soon as possible”

Talking about the most memorable experience during the epidemic, Miss LEE Kit-chun says that it has to be the work they did in connection with the community testing and vaccination programmes. To ensure sufficient power supply, proper lighting, as well as normal functioning of air-conditioning facilities, Miss LEE Kit-chun and her colleagues carried out addition and alteration works to existing electrical and mechanical systems in dozens of municipal services premises so that they could be used as testing and vaccination centres to serve the public. Miss LEE Kit-chun tells us that time was the biggest challenge. Since the epidemic was worsening, all projects had “as soon as possible” as the deadline. In the end, the team worked efficiently and completed the projects without disappointing anybody.

Award belonging to the whole team

Regarding her receiving the award, Miss LEE Kit-chun says that the award belongs to the whole team and is an encouragement to them. She is delighted to be a member of the EMSD, teaming up with dedicated colleagues to serve the public, all having the spirit to overcome difficulties and rise above challenges. She believes in the people-oriented approach in doing her job. Her biggest motivation is to provide quality services to the public so that they can live without worries.

Apart from Miss LEE Kit-chun, a number of colleagues from various departments under the purview of the DEVB also received awards last year. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for their hard work and commitment. With a sincere and positive attitude, they strive to provide excellent services to the public with professionalism. Under the epidemic, they stand fast at their posts and do their part to safeguard the public. With the concerted efforts of the Government and the public, I believe Hong Kong will definitely win the battle against the disease.