If you are using PROC IMPORT to import the Excel file, you will need to use a UTF-8 encoded session of SAS. This will preserve the special symbols, but it will not preserve the line breaks. The following worked for me as an example, and then I just added line breaks in the Word file as desired. An alternative would be to hard-code the text using your own ODS TEXT= statements or PROC ODSTEXT.
proc import datafile='your_path\sample data.xlsx'
out=sample_data dbms=xlsx replace;
run;
/* may need to remove embedded quotes to not conflict with resolving macro variable in double quotes */
data sample_data;
set sample_data;
policy=compress(compress(policy,'"'),"'");
run;
proc sql noprint;
select POLICY into :POLICY from sample_data;
quit;
%put &policy;
ods listing close;
ods escapechar='^';
ods rtf file='your_path\test.rtf';
ods text="^S={font_face='Times New Roman' font_size=11pt just=left} &POLICY";
proc print data=sashelp.class;
run;
ods rtf close;
ods listing;
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