Heroic is a word often used to describe the conduct of Hong Kong's frontline medical staff as the city battled the Sars epidemic 18 months ago.
Many voluntarily isolated themselves from family and friends while carrying out their work treating and containing what was a mysterious and highly infectious illness. Over the months that the outbreak continued, a number succumbed to the deadly disease they were fighting.
For the families of these frontline doctors, medical assistants and nurses, payouts from compensation funds set up for those who died in the line of duty would seem to be the least that society can do.
Decisions made about such funds should err on the side of compassion rather than bureaucracy.
Unfortunately, in the case of one Sars doctor's family, such fairness has been elusive. The family of paediatrician James Lau Tai-kwan has been told that because it cannot be established that he died as a direct result of treating three Sars-infected patients last year, they would not receive compensation from the government's Fund for Heroes. His is the only family of medical staff who died from Sars not to qualify for compensation.
If there were mitigating circumstances leading the fund committee to this conclusion, they have not been spelled out. Unless Lau lived in a place where the outbreak was widespread, such as the Amoy Gardens apartment complex, it is difficult to infer anything other than that he died while treating his patients.
In line with the community spirit that was so apparent during and just after the outbreak, the fund committee headed by Secretary for Health and Welfare Yeoh Eng-kiong should reconsider its decision.