Special report: 2008 Olympic Games     

    By Zhang Yashi

    HONG KONG, July 31 (Xinhua) -- As one of the 22 members from the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, Lung Ngai Cheung is to be part of the Beijing Olympic Games providing first aid service.

    "This is a scarce opportunity and it's our honor. We will do our best to serve the Games well," Lung, an administrative officer in a local surveying company, told Xinhua with excitement.

    Hong Kong St. John Ambulance is the only first aid team outside Beijing serving the 2008 Games and Lung, who has been a volunteer at St. John Ambulance for 25 years, is one of the coordinators dealing with the matter.

    He said that his team, together with Beijing first aiders, will be stationed at three sports venues -- Beijing Cycling Road Course, Ming Tomb Reservoir for triathlon, and Shunyi Olympic Park -- all for aquatic events.

    "We have got more than 600 members applying to serve at the Beijing Olympic Games and we finally picked 22 from them," Lung said, adding that not only the members have good experience in first aid but also speak English and mandarin well.

    According to Lung, the team will stay in Beijing from Aug. 4 to 25, and the team comprises doctors, registered nurses, physiotherapists, firefighters and other first aid trainers.

    As for Hong Kong, St. John Ambulance has arranged 2,000 duties throughout the Olympic Equestrian events. There will be experienced voluntary first aiders and ambulances stationed at different venues such as the competition venues at Shatin and Beas River, the Olympic Village and underground stations nearby.

    "All of our members are ready for the Olympic Games," Lung said, adding that during June and July, their members have joined a series of training and exercise for the Games.

    Lung said that this is not the first time that St. John work in large-scale events in Beijing. They joined hands with Beijing first aid team to serve at the university students sports event in 2001. From then on, St. John began to build relations with Beijing medical organizations.

    "Since Beijing started to prepare for the Games, we have been taking an active role in cooperating with Beijing Emergency Medical Center."

    As one of the 41 members from the Order of St. John, an international major charity, St. John of Hong Kong always keeps their members in line with advanced first aid skills and knowledge, according to Lung.

    Because of their close friends with Beijing medical personnel, Lung believed that was part of the reason why they were finally allowed to serve in the Games.

    In the past, St. John members formed their own working teams when serving in large-scale events such as the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. "But this time, we will be in separate teams working together with Beijing first aiders," Lung said, adding that this will be a brand new experience.