SFH speaks on extension of A&E service at Tin Shui Wai Hospital
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Reporter: To what extent do you think an extension of just four hours of Accident and Emergency (A&E) services of Tin Shui Wai Hospital (TSWH) would affect the service of Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) and Pok Oi Hospital (POH)? How confident are you that the services could be extended to 24 hours?
Secretary for Food and Health: The services of the A&E Department of TSWH will be extended to 12 hours a day starting March 21 this year. The Hospital Authority (HA), in particular the New Territories West Cluster, has been working very hard in terms of getting enough manpower for this extension. On one hand, this extension can serve Tin Shui Wai residents. On the other hand, we also have to look into all the services of TMH as well as POH as a whole, so that the number of patients visiting the A&E Department of TSWH will not severely affect the work of TMH as well as POH. With the extension of services, there will be more patients. But they (HA) have already reserved manpower. Currently, there are about 170 to 180 patients visiting the A&E Department of TSWH daily and they expect that there will be about 250 patients after the extension of services. On extending the service to 24 hours, the initial projection is that TSWH will extend the services of the A&E Department to 24 hours in November this year. They will also open some inpatient services, especially the A&E ward services, at that time. Of course, the HA will continue to monitor the situation and see if there is a need for further service development.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:48
Issued at HKT 15:48
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