Meds delivered to patients stranded on mainland

Care from the FTU

Hong Kong's largest labor union, the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), was commissioned to facilitate the services. Beginning on Feb 26, it collects medicines from the patients' families in Hong Kong at least twice a week. The medications, after registration and checks, are shipped to the union's mainland offices and then distributed to the patients.

This arrangement was helpful and convenient, said Chan, the 50-year-old's sister-in-law.

She related the account of picking up a six-month supply of medications for her sister-in-law from a doctor, and then turning them over to the FTU two days later.

Both Hong Kong and mainland customs have made special arrangements to expedite delivery of the medications, under a program coordinated by the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said Chan Sao-iam, assistant secretary-general of the FTU.

The FTU aims to complete delivery in less than seven days, from the time the patient's family gets the medicine in Hong Kong, to the time the patient receives the parcel on the mainland.

More than 1,000 people have filled in forms requesting help for family members across the border who are in need of delivery of medications, said Chan of the FTU.

For patients with no one to fall back on in Hong Kong, the FTU reports the cases to the Hospital Authority, which then furnishes the necessary medications.

Tam, an 80-year-old Hong Kong resident living in Guangzhou, received her medications for high blood pressure and diabetes from FTU volunteers on March 2. She had almost run out when the program started.

Tam has lived in the Guangdong provincial capital with her family for three years and regularly returns to Hong Kong to see a doctor. She had never come close to running out of medicine before.

"It was not urgent. But when we found it almost impossible to have them delivered across the border by ourselves, my family and I began to worry," said Tam. Their concern was lifted when her daughter heard about the program and called the FTU for help.

Tam said she's grateful for the government and the union for helping ordinary people like her get through the difficulties. She also praised the volunteers for their community spirit and enthusiasm when helping her.

"The public should be aware of the efforts made by the government and social groups to help them," Tam said.