Letters | Three ways Hong Kong public hospitals can handle Covid-19 cases better

Readers discuss public hospital policies for Covid-19 cases, the potential for telehealth services in Hong Kong, and the ESF fee hike

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Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, one of the public hospitals designated for Covid-19 patients, on April 13. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 11:30am, 2 May 2022

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I would at the outset like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the medical professionals and care givers of Hong Kong, in particular, those who work on the “dirty teams” of public hospitals. Their efforts and hardship are fully appreciated.

My husband was infected with Omicron during the peak of the fifth wave of Covid-19. Fortunately, he was admitted to an isolation ward under Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals within an hour. We are thankful for the efficiency of the hospital’s emergency ward, and the professionalism of the medical team who exhausted many options in treating him.

However, there are some aspects of my husband’s experience that call for attention. We hope the government will take into account our feedback to improve the handling of patients during pandemics.

First, the lack of toilet facilities inside the isolation ward was a nuisance and source of frustration to both patients and staff. Toilets were located outside the ward, which patients were not allowed to leave. They were offered diapers or a bucket with wipes to cope with the call of nature.

For the aged, not so mobile or the seriously infected, this may have been less annoying. But for patients such as my husband, who are capable of moving around, it was a serious discomfort. In fact, many patients could not use the bucket smoothly, which resulted in dirty messes everywhere. I can imagine the cleaners’ horror, not to mention the smell and hygiene impact on everyone in the ward.