Half of public hospital beds to serve Covid patients
Aim is to convert general wards this week to cope with surging infections
Hong Kong’s public hospitals expect to repurpose half of their beds for Covid-19 patients by the end of this week to cope with an exponential growth in cases.
Hospital Authority chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling said yesterday the 50 per cent figure was suggested by top mainland epidemiologist Dr Liang Wannian, head of a delegation visiting the city.
Liang said in an interview on Saturday that the Hospital Authority had proposed a target of converting 30 per cent of beds in public facilities for Covid-19 treatment, with the option to expand it to 50 per cent if necessary.
Health authorities had started installing ventilators to convert general wards to treat Covid-19 patients, Fan told the Post.
“The original idea was to convert 30 per cent of beds in public hospitals, but with the escalating new cases, the expert group led by Dr Liang has suggested increasing it to 50 per cent,” he said, adding they had already reached the initial figure and expected to complete the plan within the week.
The chairman said the authority was also in the process of designating more hospitals to focus on only treating coronavirus patients.
“Two hospitals, Tin Shui Wai Hospital and North Lantau Hospital, are already complete, providing 500 beds and more are in the pipeline,” he said.
The Post reported on Thursday that the authority was planning to transform three hospitals into designated facilities for Covid-19 patients in the coming one to two weeks, which would provide an additional 1,000 beds.
The sites under consideration are Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, Haven of Hope Hospital in Tseung Kwan O and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Fung Yiu King Hospital in Sandy Bay.
Government pandemic adviser Professor David Hui Shucheong said the changes introduced by the authority were necessary as emergency wards in public hospitals were overcrowded with elderly patients who needed proper treatment and monitoring.
“Most elderly patients are not vaccinated and they need to be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible,” Hui said, adding that five or six wards were designated for coronavirus patients in Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin.
“Non-Covid-19 patients will be affected. But we have to consider which patient is in need of urgent care.”
Fan praised the contributions of Liang, who led the delegation to the city last Monday.
“The Hospital Authority is most grateful to Dr Liang and his group of experts for the many inspiring ideas they have shared to combat Covid-19 and shall implement them as much as possible forthwith,” Fan said.
More than 1,700 workers and 200 management staff from China State Construction International Holdings yesterday began building a makeshift hospital in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, an area near the mainland border.
The facility is expected to provide 1,000 emergency beds and up to 10,000 for community isolation and treatment.
The site belongs to the Lok Ma Chau Loop Innovation and Technology Park project, which is operated by China Railway Construction Group.
Non-Covid-19 patients will be affected. But we have to consider which patient is in need of urgent care
PROFESSOR DAVID HUI