Ex-health chief tells of light amid Covid darkness

Former secretary for food and health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said she stayed optimistic throughout the three-year pandemic despite the stress from leading the Covid-19 fight.

Speaking at a Mental Health Photographic Society event yesterday, Chan said she was self-motivated throughout the hardship.

"I was always motivated to work, and I never felt dread or reluctance in spite of facing difficult situations," she said.

During the pandemic, Chan and colleagues reviewed statistical data in the middle of the night and stayed up late, analyzing and fine tuning strategies, hoping to minimize the impact that Covid-19 wreaked.

She recalled times when policies were misinterpreted, which upset her.

Despite facing criticism and an ever-changing Covid situation, Chan said: "There were dark clouds and gloominess, but sunshine has never left us."

She also said thinking of ways to deal with the challenge was her best way to relieve stress and that there were always ways to solve a problem.

For her, particularly memorable during the three-year pandemic odyssey was the mobilization of quarantine centers in Chun Yeung Estate and Penny Bay.

She highlighted the importance of learning from the past and looking to the future. "For example, if policies are misunderstood, we need to find out the reasons, prevent them from recurring, and move forward."

In recent years, depression and anxiety rates have gone up.

The society cited a University of Hong Kong survey in August 2020 that found over 70 percent of respondents experienced post-traumatic stress disorder due to social unrest and the pandemic.

Chan believes that mental health should be covered in primary health care. She proposed a three-level model in promoting mental health.

"The first is to care for the mental needs of the healthy and make them even healthier; the second is to serve high-risk patients, detect and treat them early; the third is to follow up on the treatment for those who have already fallen ill," she said.

The non-profit society is holding a four-day book launch and photography exhibition titling "Sunshine Amid the Pandemic." It ends Wednesday at the Central Market.

Another guest of honor, actor and deejay Timothy Cheng Tse-Shing, shared insights on the entertainment industry toll during the pandemic.

"I was scared whenever I took my mask off during filming," he said.

"I was afraid of being infected, as filming would be suspended once a cast member got infected."

Cheng said he was lucky to still be able to work in spite of the pandemic, and urged Hongkongers to seek support from others when they are feeling stressed.