The awardee of the Second Hong Kong Humanity Award - Dr AU Yiu-kai

With at least two decades of community services in Hong Kong, Dr Au Yiu-kai has a strong record of serving regularly and consistently for the vulnerable population in our society. Dr Au started serving the society since 1980s. He has been an outreach volunteer doctor since 1987. He and his family have been providing regular monthly free medical services to those retired old miners and their families on Ma On Shan Village. Starting from 1997, Dr Au has set up the Hong Kong Wheelchair Aid Service with his other colleagues to provide assistance to those disabled and elderly on wheelchairs. Since 2002, he has stepped up his commitment to the global community by participating in various global emergency medical operations in conflict and disaster areas. He has been the medical volunteer of both Hong Kong Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontiers. These medical humanitarian missions have brought him to serve distressed population in countries such as Liberia, Indonesia, South Sudan, Thailand and mainland China. It is important to highlight working environments in disaster zones can be daunting as there are a generally lack of resources and support, constant time constraint and most important of all, unpredictable security concerns. Nevertheless, despite of these challenges, volunteers such as Dr Au put themselves forward and make access to lifesaving health care possible. Dr Au is never shy from offering his network to support training and placement of young doctors and health care workers so as to enhance their field effectiveness when joining missions with humanitarian groups such as ICRC, IFRC, MSF and others. He serves as a career and training mentor for young clinical and health workers who are interested to pursue a career in medical humanitarian work. Over the years, Dr Au has given over half-hundred sharing sessions in different education and health institutes. It is his greatest ambition to spread the message of love and humanity among these young ones.