Over 420 volunteers completed the Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme. They have acquired the essential healthcare knowledge and skills to serve the needy.
(From left) Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Administration) Miss Cecilia Li Yuen-wah, President of the OUHK Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong, and Head of Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Ms Winnie Ying officiate at the Closing Ceremony.
Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong (left) presents a souvenir to Head of Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Ms Winnie Ying (right) in recognition of the support The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust provided to the Programme.
Outstanding volunteers receive their certificates from Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Administration) Miss Cecilia Li Yuen-wah (seventh from left) at the ceremony.
With a funding of HK$10.7 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) launched the “Jockey Club Community Healthcare Education Programme” in 2012 with an aim to train up community healthcare talents and volunteers and to enhance public health awareness through various educational programmes and community promotion campaigns.
The Programme has been concluded successfully this year. Over 2,200 healthcare talents and volunteers have been trained to provide community-based healthcare services and to promote the spirit of mutual aid and communal harmony in the past few years. Among them, nearly 650 healthcare practitioners graduated from the academic programmes “Certificate in Health Studies (Community Health Care)” and “Diploma in Health Studies (Community Health Care)”, and over 1,500 volunteers have completed the “Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme”. Also, scholarships totalling over HK$3.8 million have been awarded to more than 250 needy and outstanding students.
A Closing Ceremony cum Graduation Ceremony of the Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme was held last Saturday (6 July) at the OUHK Jockey Club Campus. Officiating at the Ceremony were the Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Administration) Miss Cecilia Li Yuen-wah, Head of Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Ms Winnie Ying, and President of the OUHK Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong.
Addressing the ceremony, Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong said that the OUHK is grateful for the generous funding and support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in promoting community healthcare education and services over the years. He said, “Since the launch of the Programme in 2012, over 2,200 healthcare talents and volunteers have been trained to relieve the pressure on the public healthcare system. They have been reaching out to the community to provide much needed health care and support to the needy. This is indeed a remarkable achievement and it would not have been possible without the support from the Government and The Trust, as well as the dedication and efforts of the colleagues from the School of Nursing and Health Studies.”
Head of Charities (Grant Making – Youth, Education & Training, Poverty) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Ms Winnie Ying said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club recognizes the importance of healthcare services in society and the positive energies generated through collaboration among different stakeholders in the community to address social needs. The Club has therefore continued to facilitate people from different backgrounds and ages, especially the youth, to understand social needs, and encourage them to take part in voluntary services and instill positive energies into society. The Club is pleased to support the OUHK which launched the “Service-Learning Programme” aiming at encouraging students to integrate social services and academic knowledge creatively, connecting people from different sectors of society to help those in need and attaining a win-win situation.”
In 2019 alone, more than 420 volunteers successfully completed the “Home Health Watch Programme” at the OUHK. They have been equipped with essential healthcare knowledge and skills, and are now ready to serve the elderly, the disabled and individuals with chronic diseases.
Prof. Wong added that though the Programme comes to an end this year, the OUHK will sustain it in light of the rapidly ageing population and growing demand for quality community healthcare services. More practical and new elements will be added to the programme so that love and care can be continued to spread in every corner of the community.
Apart from conferring the certificates to the volunteers, some of the participants and NGO representatives were invited to share their experience and insights they have gained from the programme. Awards were also presented to winners of the “Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme Volunteers Writing Contest” and the newly established “Health Volunteer Spirit Awards”. “Promoting social integration” is theme for the “Health Volunteer Spirit Awards” this year, of which 11 dedicated volunteers and groups with outstanding contributions in fostering transgenerational and racial harmony, disability inclusion, and related fields were recognized and lauded.
Under the Jockey Club Community Healthcare Education Programme, two part-time academic programmes and a free education programme are offered to those who are interested to pursue a career or participate in voluntary service in the community healthcare sector:
1) A 30-credit Certificate Programme in Health Studies (Community Health Care);
2) A 60-credit Diploma Programme in Health Studies (Community Health Care);
3) The free Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme for community healthcare volunteers.
More details can be obtained from the following websites:
– Certificate / Diploma in Health Studies (Community Health Care): http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/Nursing/DHS
– Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme: http://hhw.ouhk.edu.hk
About the OUHK:
Established by the Government in 1989, The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) has developed into a full-fledged university providing high quality and flexible university education at various levels to secondary school graduates and working adults. As a dynamic and innovative university, the OUHK currently offers about 220 programmes to nearly 10,000 full-time students and about 9,000 part-time students. Our mission is to advance learning, knowledge and research that meet students' learning aspirations and society's talent needs, focusing on practical and professional programmes.
OUHK comprises five Schools, i.e. School of Arts and Social Sciences, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, School of Education and Languages, School of Nursing and Health Studies, and School of Science and Technology. The Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education (LiPACE) provides lifelong learning opportunities by offering full-time sub-degree programmes, community learning and professional programmes. OUHK website: www.ouhk.edu.hk.
