(SCMP) HongKong’spublichospitalshavebeenstretchedtobreakingpointbyasurgeinthenumberofpatientsseekingtreatmentforfluandchronicdiseasesduringpersistentcoldweather.
The“unprecedented”problemhasnowspilledoverfromemergencyunitsandmedicalwardstodepartmentslikeorthopaedicsandsurgery,thePosthaslearnt.
Theoccupancyrateonallmedicalwardsin16publichospitalshasconsistentlybeenaround110percent,withsomeashighas130,meaningtemporarybedshaveevenfilledupallspacesincorridors.Somepatientscomplainedofwaitingfordaysinobservationunitsbeforetheycouldbemovedintoaroom.
Ataccidentandemergencyunits,patientsclassifiedasnon-urgentweremadetowaitforaslongas24hoursbeforetheywereseenbydoctors,withover7,000patientsattendingtheunitsdailyoverthepastweek,comparedwiththeaverageof6,000.
Tocopewithdemand,nurseshavebeenaskedtostepintoassesspatientswithmorestableconditions.SecretaryforFoodandHealthDrKoWing-manwarnedonWednesdaythatthesituationwasabouttogetevenworse.
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Thetemperatureisexpectedtodropstartingfromtomorrow–theoverloadedsituationwillbecomemoresevere,”Kosaidaftervisitingseveralhospitals.HospitalAuthoritychiefexecutiveDrLeungPak-yinconcededthatpublichospitalswerefacinganunprecedentedchallenge.Oneseniornursesaidmedicalwardsweresofullthatcorridorsaswellasthespaceoutsidethemanager’sroomwerefilledwithtemporarybeds.“Thereisn’tevenspaceforustomovethebloodpressuremonitormachines.
Weshouldbeworriedaboutinfectioncontrolinsuchacongestedenvironment.”PublicDoctors’AssociationpresidentDrPierreChanPui-yinsaidsomedoctorswereworkingalmost80hoursaweekratherthantheusual44hoursandtheworkloadforinternalmedicinespecialistswaswaybeyondtheofficialfigures.
SecretaryKoWing-man(centre)visitsQueenElizabethHospital.Photo:SamTsang
Chansaidinternalmedicinepatientsweretransferredtootherdepartmentswhenwardsreachedabove100percent.
Butwhenotherdepartmentsstartedfillingup,thepatientsflowedbacktothemedicalwards–hencetheoccupancyratesof130percent.“Theactualworkloadfeltbyinternalmedicinespecialistsismorelike200percentextra,sincetheyareinchargeofthetransferralandbackflowofpatients,”Chansaid.Hesaiditwasnotfairtoasknursestoseepatientsandeventoprescribemedicine,sincesomemayhavecomplicatedconditions.
Adoctorfromanorthopaedicsdepartmentagreedandsaidthefiguresonmedicalwardsdidnotreflecttherealworkloadasotherdepartmentsweresharingtheburden.
“Thedoctorsininternalmedicinearetryingtheirbesttofindanytinyexcusepossibletoputpatientsinotherwards,suchasorthopaedicsorsurgery,”saidthedoctorfromCaritasMedicalCentreinKowloon,whopreferredtoremainanonymous.
AsignattheA&Eunitshowspatientswillhavetowaitatleast15hours.Photo:SamTsangDrWong
Yam-hong,fromdoctors’groupMédecinsInspirés,saidpublichospitalswereat“breakingpoint”.Hecriticisedtheauthority’sdecisiontosend30frontlinedoctorstoBeijinginApriltoattendaone-weeknationaleducationclassorganisedbythecentralgovernment’sHongKongliaisonofficewhilehospitalsweresoseverelyunderstaffed.
TheoverflowproblemwashighlightedinaFacebookpost,believedtobewrittenbyamedic,thatsuggestedonepatientatQueenElizabethHospitalinYauMaTeihadtowaitthreenightsinanobservationunitbeforebeingadmittedtothemedicalward.DrCheungWai-lun,theauthority’sdirectorofclusterservices,describedthisincidentasan“isolatedcase”.
Cheungsaidthehospitalhadorderedareviewofwhethernon-emergencyservicescouldbesuspendedtoallowresourcestobedivertedtomoreseriouscases.Theauthoritywouldalsoconsidertransferringlessseriouscasestorehabilitationhospitalsandexpandthescopeofaspecialovertimeschemeformedicalstaff.