Hospital Authority anticipates overcrowding in medical wards
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During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority (HA) is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments and the occupancy rate of medical wards in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information (table appended).
The HA Chief Manager (Cluster Performance), Dr Ian Cheung, today (March 6), said, "With admission to medical wards via A&E Departments close to or above 1 000 for the past week, we anticipate medical wards will continue to be very overcrowded. We appeal for patients' co-operation in hospitals' arrangements to transfer stabilised patients to rehabilitation hospitals in order to vacate hospital beds in acute hospitals for new admissions.
"At the same time, A&E attendance has surged recently with over 6,000 nearly every day in the past week. The attendance was over 6 500 the last two Mondays. We anticipate a longer waiting time today for semi-urgent and non-urgent patients and appeal for their understanding and patience. Patients with mild conditions can consider seeking consultation at private doctors or general outpatient clinics."
Ends/Monday, March 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:00
Issued at HKT 12:00
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