During the past three years, MedArt's prison outreach seemed to have come to a halt due to the pandemic and social unrest, but as the situa:on slowly eases, Correc:onal Services Department begins to relax rules for visita:ons. To start with, Band Day resumed in April this year, and MedArt is able to go work with the two prison bands in Stanley on a monthly basis since then.

With the con:nual easing of pandemic measures, MedArt also put in a request to resume our annual Dragon Boat Fes:val Stanley Outreach, and lo and behold, thanks to the hard work of many at CSD headquarter, we were granted the opportunity to make this long- awaited visit. We were told that we were the first group to hold a performance since the pandemic which would not have been possible without the help of colleagues from headquarter and Stanley. Members of 'Time' (one of the Stanley bands) were also overjoyed about this event as they were able to finally perform some of the pieces they had been prac:cing for the past three years to a live audience, together with the backing of a string orchestra.

Our sixteen team members arrived Stanley at 7:30am that morning so we could start the security check process as soon as possible, so as to leave us plenty of :me for rehearsal. We were really impressed by the efficiency and well coordinated effort of the officers who performed the security check, an evidence of the many hours of prepara:on work beforehand. Excellent team work was demonstrated by our team members as well under the direc:ons of our team leaders. As a result, we were all set up on stage to start our rehearsal in no :me while the sound crews con:nued to work on the microphones and tes:ng of equipments. Our rehearsal consisted of three parts: instrumental, instrumental and singers, instrumental and Stanley band to be conducted within an hour or so.

MedArt did four performances on the day: two in the morning and two in the aTernoon. Our music ranged from Toccata and Fugue (rearranged to be played with drum), to sacred music (Amazing Grace), to Cantopop (Charmaine Fong's You are your own legend,, AGA's Tomorrow and Jacky Cheung's Love is eternal), to popular pop songs (Josh Groban's You raised me up). The band also performed two pieces on its own and we ended each performance with MedArt playing alongside Stanley Band in Dear Jane's What happened and Kindle your fire. In our last performance, our drummer Jeremy and the Stanley bassist extended their solo and the whole audience was so cap:vated by the exci:ng intercourse that everyone stood up cheering. Thus our last performance of the day received a standing ova:on from the en:re audience which was the biggest reward for us all who chose to spend Dragon Boat Fes:val behind bars.

After three long years of separation due to the pandemic, we finally reunited in May 2023. As we stepped out of the airport, our group of six felt a sense of trepidation, knowing how much everything had changed. But amidst the uncertainty, one thing remaied constant: yor warm and welcoming presence.

 

As we drove to the hospital grounds, we couldn't help but notice how the once pristine ivory-white building had lost its lustre over time. Despite this, the bustling energy of the hospital was as vibrant as ever. It was truly delightful to reunite with old friends, each of whom exuded the same youthful vigor as before. Today, the team at Suzhou Children's Hospital is stronger than ever before, with budding stars flourishing under your tireless dedication during the pandemic.

 

Do you remember when we introduced urodynamics to the hospital in 2012? Years of hard work have transformed your team into the best in the territory, a truly inspiring feat. Although nothing is eternal in this ever-changing era, the friendship between us, you, and Medart will remain indissoluble.

 

Lovely children, it's been three years, and you have grown up so much. Yet, your innocence and charm still radiate through your beautiful smiles, melting our hearts. We extend our sincerest gratitude to all the matrons who brought you here to Suzhou from all over the nation on long-haul trains, only wishing for your precious health by allowing us to examine you.

 

Our lovely children, it's wonderful to have you all here! Your unyielding spirit has proven that the tireless efforts of Medart over the years have been worthwhile. Keep striving with fervor! May the goddess of fortune soon bestow her blessings upon you, enabling you to reunite with your parents, and relish the warmth of a loving home, and empowering you to shape your own lives. Let's give it our all!

 (Written by volunteer Jenny)

 

A team of 22 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, medical students and volunteers went to Suzhou on Nov 7-11, 2018.

Four one-hour performances were given in the Main Wing multifunction room of Lo Wu Correctional Institution on Oct 17th by a team of 27 people consisting of musicians, medical doctors, medical students, nurses and volunteers. Our program of well-known Cantopop and Western songs were very well received and throughout those hours, our hearts (performers' and audiences') were joined together by the music we played and the singing from the audience. It was a joy to see everyone from our outreach team work together to make this an unbelievable event. Our team spirit was evident in our music thus moving people to tears and heightening their enjoyment. In return, the audience gave us much encouragement and appreciation. It was a beautiful picture. Our performances had been rated by the inmates as 'the best ever'!

MedArt was invited to perform at CSD's Officers' Annual Dinner at the Convention Centre on Oct 3rd, 2018.

Go to top