Discussions start for private hospitals to take over non-Covid patients

Private hospitals have started discussions with the Hong Kong government on taking over non-Covid patients in order to vacate beds at public hospitals to fight the pandemic. 

William Ho Shiu-wei, chairman of the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association, said he received a call from Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee on Saturday.

“The first thing she said is 'It's impractical to ask private hospitals to receive Covid patients. Let's talk about non-Covid patients so that Hospital Authority can vacate some beds (in public hospitals),''' Ho said on Monday.

According to initial discussions, the government would like private hospitals to take cover recovering non-Covid patients. It also wants to send over cancer patients who are awaiting electrotherapy and chemotherapy.

Certain endoscopy and tumor surgery may also be transferred to private hospitals. 

“Those cases can be handled quickly, and they are what private hospitals are used to handling,” Ho said. 

Details have to be hammered out depending on the number of beds available at private hospitals. Patients can continue to pay prices charges by public hospitals, while private hospitals will charge the government in accordance to the framework under previous public-private cooperation. 

On a radio program, Society for Community Organization's Sze Lai-shan said the group received around 300 requests for help from grassroot citizens in the latest outbreak. 

Residents of partition flats and cage homes are worried about infecting their family members and fellow residents when they undergo home isolation after testing postiive. 

Sze said she has written to the government, demanding acceleration in handling cases. Some waited five or six days before they get results for their Covid-19 tests, during which they cannot work and lose their income, she said.