Authors (including presenting author) :
CHEUNG YK(1),FAN ST(1), CHAN Y(1), SIN YC(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Team, Kowloon East Cluster (KEC)
Introduction :
To support KEC colleagues in maintaining their wellbeing during the battle of combating COVID-19, KEC has launched a specially designed Staff Wellness and Fitness Program - 心強體健計劃2020–抗疫同行篇 in March 2020. The program was led by a working group chaired by KEC OSH Steering Committee Chairman.
Objectives :
To build KEC staff resilience by providing them with relevant resources to boost their morale and arouse their awareness in strengthening their physical and mental wellness during this challenging moment.
Methodology :
Themed initiatives on the following focused areas were coordinated regularly, via multimedia means. The program also engaged KEC cluster management to distribute healthy food and gifts for demonstrating support to colleagues.
“抗” aimed at cheering up staff, through words of encouragement and positive posters, and fostered good team spirit amongst staff.
“疫” aimed at promoting staff health by introducing healthy diet tips, cooking recipes & regimens which were recommended by the Dietitian and Chinese Medicine Practitioner.
“同” aimed at promoting staff positive thinking through provision of online talks, quizzes with gifts.
“行” aims at encouraging staff to keep physical fitness by practising indoor stretching exercises, Mindfulness, relaxation exercises, and good sleep habits.
Result & Outcome :
Results:
From March to December 2020:
- Around 3500 staff (~35% of staff) participated;
- 35 themed initiatives had been rolled out, including 6 inspiring posters, 15 food/gift distributions, 5 healthy recipes/ Chinese soup and tea regimens, 4 home-based physical and mental exercises, etc.
- Positive feedback was received from different channels, including cluster and hospitals’ OSH Committees, forum, and individual staff feedback that they felt being supported and valued.
Conclusions:
The program has supported KEC staff during the challenges of COVID-19. Staff engagement was evidenced by high participation, and happy faces captured at the event photos. The working group is taking a closer look to design appropriate initiatives according to the COVID-19 development.
