{
  "id": 15542543,
  "title": "Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: medical student draws from experience of volunteer work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/spirit-of-hong-kong-awards-medical-student-draws-from-experience-of-15542543",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T02:15:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post-hong-kong",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371291/spirit-hong-kong-awards-medical-student-draws-experience-volunteer-work"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Medical student Alfred Lam, a finalist in the youth category of the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, credits years of volunteering to serve elderly people and disadvantaged communities for shaping his approach to medicine. The University of Hong Kong undergraduate believes looking beyond symptoms and understanding the people he may treat one day is crucial. Lam, nominated by the NGO HandsOn Hong Kong, began volunteering through HandsOn programs during secondary school, including bread collection, meal distribution, and activities for elderly individuals, many of whom had dementia. He devised board games and organized outings to encourage interaction, eventually assisting with a new group of student volunteers.\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of social contact for elderly people, and Lam's volunteer work in medical outreach during this time reinforced his belief in the value of activities like board games in facilitating communication. These experiences proved invaluable as he joined Medical Outreachers, a student-led medical volunteer group, participating in health education and outreach programs both in Hong Kong and overseas. During a visit to Cambodia, Lam witnessed a doctor's compassionate response to a tuberculosis patient, demonstrating that a doctor's demeanor can significantly impact a patient.\n\nLam's volunteering has exposed him to different backgrounds and perspectives, making him realize that his future patients might come from vastly different circumstances than his own. As he progresses in his medical education, he hopes to offer more expertise as a professional, recognizing that volunteering has instilled in him an altruistic mindset. Despite the challenges he may face in balancing volunteering with his medical career, Lam hopes it will remain an integral part of his life.",
  "summary": "Years of volunteering to serve elderly people and disadvantaged communities have informed medical student Alfred Lam’s approach to medicine, teaching the University of Hong Kong undergraduate to look beyond symptoms and understand the people he may one day treat. Lam is a finalist in the youth category of this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, which recognise the city’s unsung heroes and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: medical student draws from experience of volunteer work",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/spirit-of-hong-kong-awards-medical-student-draws-from-experience-of",
        "published": "2026-10-19T02:15:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}