A public hospital staff union has given out hundreds of “resistance” pins to members, after the Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Red Cross apologized for a phlebotomist who was accused of unprofessionalism for wearing a protest-related accessory at a police blood donation event.

The event, held at the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force Headquarters in Kowloon Bay last week, was abruptly cancelled after officers complained that the phlebotomist was wearing a mini yellow helmet accessory, which was seen as relating to ongoing protests that had been marred by widespread allegations of police violence.

The statutory Hospital Authority and the Red Cross apologized for the incident, and the authority promised to look into it.

In the meantime, the phlebotomist in question approached the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance for help. On Monday, the alliance set up a booth outside Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, handed out hundreds of pins printed with the word “resistance” and asked its members to wear the pins on top of their staff cards to support the phlebotomist.

Alliance vice chair Ivan Law condemned the Hospital Authority’s double standards, which only allowed its top management to support an upcoming national security law but would not let employees wear accessories expressing their own opinions.

Law said such double standards also existed in other organizations. He cited the police force, where officers often wore numerous stickers on their uniforms but the police commissioner did not see a problem.

The phlebotomist had not been notified if disciplinary action would be taken. Law worried that white terror would spread and the Hospital Authority would monitor the personal opinions of its employees on social media.

He urged alliance members to resist any such monitoring. “Let us give some courage to the phlebotomist,” he added.

A nurse of 20 years, who identified herself only by the name Mo, took a pin from the alliance’s booth. She expressed unhappiness with the police for accusing the phlebotomist of being unprofessional, saying that medical workers had ethical standards and would help people regardless of their political stance. “The police abused their power and beat up people on duty, so they believe other people are just like them,” she said.

Click here for Chinese version.

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