Heavy pressure for public hospitals as 20 pc more patients seek help at A&E compare to past holiday peaks

Heavy pressure for public hospitals as 20 pc more patients seek help at A&E compare to past holiday peaks: HA

There was a surge in people seeking treatment in public hospitals following the Christmas-new-year holiday, with the occupancy rate of medical wards surpassing 110 percent, according to a committee under the Hospital Authority.

Around 5,600 daily average consultations for those seeking help at the public hospital accident and emergency departments were recorded from last Saturday to New Year's Day, said the chairman of HA Central Coordinating Committee (A&E) Joey Siu Yue-chung.

Speaking on a radio program, Siu noted the public hospitals faced the pressure of heavy service demand yesterday (Jan 2) as over 6,700 patients sought care in the emergency room, a 20 percent increase compared to the past holiday peaks.

Siu stated that the number of medical visits is expected to rise over the next week as citizens who have traveled overseas are gradually returning to Hong Kong. 

He anticipated that 20 to 30 percent more patients with mild symptoms would visit emergency rooms compared to the previous week or two. He urged them to consider seeking help from family doctors or general clinics in order to free up resources for those in need.

Siu also apologized to the affected patients during the Christmas and New Year holidays, as the waiting time in some emergency departments is several hours longer than usual.

Regarding the number of patients with flu symptoms which has increased by about 20 to 30 percent, Siu called on citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the chance of severe illness or further transmission.

"It will also help reduce the work pressure on frontline medical staff," he added.