The South China Morning Post today launches Project Shield - an opportunity for Hong Kong people to buy protective suits for local medical staff in the front line of the battle against Sars.

Project Shield aims to provide hi-tech protective outfits for all the doctors, nurses and workers in the Sars wards of 14 Hong Kong hospitals where patients are being treated, to guard them against infection.

The Post has bought 1,000 "Barrierman" suits - which cost HK$25 each - to donate to the Hospital Authority, and has arranged with Cathay Pacific to airlift in from Malaysia 1,000 more donated by manufacturers DuPont. HSBC has waived transaction fees for donations lodged via credit cards.

We now urge readers and businesses to pledge money to help make sure every medical worker in Hong Kong who wants to use one of the protective suits has access to one.

Hong Kong people have been trying to find ways to show their appreciation and support of frontline workers who have been putting their lives at risk to care for victims.

About 23 per cent of the total number of Sars infections in Hong Kong involve health-care workers. Project Shield began on the day that a further three frontline staff fell ill with Sars.

By last night, 338 hospital staff were among the 1,488 victims across Hong Kong.

Donating just $50 means you can provide a nurse working on a Sars ward with the two protective suits needed for one day's work. A donation of $350 will safeguard a medical worker for seven days.

David Hui Shu-cheong, a specialist treating Sars patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, welcomed the campaign.

"This is fantastic news," he said. "It is a great opportunity for the people of Hong Kong to show their support for frontline workers."

The suits are already being used on a trial basis by medics at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po. But they are not widely available in Hong Kong's 12 other hospitals treating Sars victims.

The launch of the campaign follows a Post report yesterday revealing how hefty costs and dwindling stocks were causing lengthy delays in the delivery of the equipment to the frontline.

Most staff working in Sars wards wear non-waterproof paper gowns and eye visors. Many have complained the protection offered by such equipment is inadequate.

The Hospital Authority is helping to steer the Post's campaign.

The Post has set 10,000 Barrierman suits a day as the target to ensure there are sufficient supplies to protect all frontline doctors, nurses and cleaners working in public hospitals treating Sars patients.

Legislator and Medical Association president Lo Wing-lok yesterday voiced his full support for the drive, saying it was the only way to stop the "chain-reaction" of the outbreak. "This campaign is a proactive step forward," he said.

"Businessmen, professionals and some very prominent figures have all told me they want to do more to protect frontline workers.

"I believe this is a way for the people of Hong Kong to show how much they care about our frontline workers."

Ko Wing-man, the Hospital Authority's director (Professional Service and Public Affairs), who represents the 4,000 doctors and 20,000 nurses working in public hospitals, told the Post: "We are being faced with a new virus, and hence manpower, treatment module and medication are under immense pressure. Infection control measures and protective clothing have to be enhanced in view of new findings of the disease.

"We are very grateful that the Post is joining hands with other committed organisations to show their support to public hospitals by donating some [Barrierman] clothing which we are also in the continuous process of providing to the staff concerned.

"We are pleased that the government and the community have shown tremendous support to the health-care workers in the battle against atypical pneumonia."

Joining the campaign, Cathay Pacific director and chief operating officer Philip Chen said: "We applaud the tremendous efforts being made by the Hospital Authority, Department of Health and all the medical workers to contain this outbreak and treat those people who have come down with the disease."