HA to operate holiday clinics as usual on Mid-Autumn Festival and urges public not to burn wax
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Members of the public are reminded today (September 14) that 13 general out-patient clinics (see list below) under the Hospital Authority (HA) will continue to provide services on the holiday following the Mid-Autumn Festival this Friday (September 16). Patients requiring medical consultation can make advance booking for an appointment through the telephone system as usual. Furthermore, an Accident and Emergency (A&E) doctor at a public hospital urged the public to stay vigilant during the festival to prevent accidents, and in particular not to play with burning wax.
According to the HA spokesman, the A&E Departments in public hospitals will also operate as usual during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday to serve patients with urgent medical needs. Non-urgent patients are advised to consider seeking consultation at general out-patient clinics, clinics of private doctors or 24-hour clinics of private hospitals instead of A&E Departments.
"Information on public holiday clinic services within the district will be posted at prominent locations in all A&E Departments. To help find the appropriate family medicine doctor and related clinic services of their choice, members of the public are also welcome to call the HA Infoline (2882 4866) for information on holiday general out-patient clinic services, or to browse the Primary Care Directory of the Department of Health at www.pcdirectory.gov.hk or download the mobile app of the Primary Care Directory," the spokesman added.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday is approaching, the HA's consultant emergency physician, Dr Jeffrey Fung, reminded the public that burning wax is a very dangerous activity and burn injuries will cause permanent scars. In severe cases, the movement of limbs will also be affected. Thus, members of the public, especially children, are urged not to play with burning wax during the festival to prevent accidents.
"The temperature of hot wax is even higher than that of boiling water. It will possibly lead to third-degree (severe level) burns. Patients with third-degree burns will have their dermis and skin nerves seriously damaged and the wound will not be able to recover by itself. These patients will require prolonged management and treatment, including resecting necrotic skin, skin-grafting, wearing a pressure coat and receiving physiotherapy treatment. Scars will stay even after treatment, while the adverse effect on limb movement and appearance will also impact the psychological and social well-being of the victims," Dr Fung advised.
"In case of suffering from burns, patients are advised to extinguish the fire on clothes or the body to slow down the burn and to carry out some simple first-aid measures, such as rinsing the wound gently with clean water for 10 to 15 minutes, or wrapping the wound with clean gauze or plastic wrap to minimise the risk of infection.
"Ice, ointment, soy sauce and toothpaste should not be used to treat the wound, as doing so will cause more harm than healing. Anyone suffering from burns should seek medical treatment at the nearest A&E Department if required," he added.
| District | Name of Clinic | Booking Telephone Number | General Enquiries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Island |
Shau Kei Wan Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0077 | 2560 0211 |
| Violet Peel General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0000 | 3553 3116 | |
| Aberdeen Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 3543 5011 | 2555 0381 | |
| Kowloon | Kwun Tong Community Health Centre | 3157 0687 | 2389 0331 |
| Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital Family Medicine Clinic | 3157 0118 | 2354 2267 | |
| Robert Black General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0113 | 2383 3311 | |
| Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0880 | 2272 2400 | |
| New Territories | Lady Trench General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0107 | 2614 4789 |
| Lek Yuen General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0972 | 2692 8730 | |
| Shek Wu Hui Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0965 | 2670 0211 | |
| Tai Po Jockey Club General Out-patient Clinic | 3157 0906 | 2664 2039 | |
| Tuen Mun Clinic | 3543 0886 | 2452 9111 | |
| Yuen Long Jockey Club Health Centre | 3543 5007 | 2443 8511 |
Consultation Hours: 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
Ends/Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:15
Issued at HKT 11:15
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