Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority ‘well prepared’ for surge in demand over winter, as officials voice concern over children with multiple infections
- Authority’s chief manager says public hospitals bringing in more staff, adding 103 beds and boosting capacity at general outpatient clinics ahead of winter surge
- Hospital officials raise concerns over children with respiratory illnesses caused by multiple pathogens amid high occupancy rate at paediatric wards
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority is “well prepared” for a surge in demand for services over winter and will boost the patient capacity of clinics, officials have said, while voicing concerns over respiratory illnesses in children caused by multiple viral infections.
Dr Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief manager at the authority, on Friday said preparations for the expected surge included bringing in more staff, setting up an extra 103 beds and boosting the service capacity at general outpatient clinics by 5 to 10 per cent.
“For the surge for the forthcoming winter, due to the temperature change, I think there will be a threat to the healthcare system,” he said.
Lee said his concerns stemmed from multiple factors, such as an expected rise in demand amid a decrease in private healthcare services and the possibility of more severe cases over the Christmas holiday.
It was difficult to predict when public hospitals would see an uptick in cases, he said, while stressing the authority was doing its best to prevent the city’s healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed.
Dr Yeung Yiu-cheong, Princess Margaret Hospital’s deputy chief of service for medicine and geriatrics, said the latest data showed the number of Covid-19 cases were stable and seasonal flu infections remained low.
According to the authority, the number of samples that tested positive for seasonal flu at public laboratories stood at 4.52 per cent, below the 9.21 per cent threshold that signalled the start of a flu season.
