CUHK Medical Centre starts accepting Covid patients

CUHK Medical Centre has started admitting recovering Covid-19 patients, providing 24 beds to help alleviate the pressure on public hospitals. 

The non-profit, private teaching hospital under the Chinese University of Hong Kong has obtained the approval from the Department of Health to launch a designated isolation ward to admit Covid-19 patients referred from public hospitals. 

At the present stage, the ward provides 24 beds for recovering patients aged between 16 and 75. It is hoped that the initiative can allow public hospitals to re-allocate resources for critically ill patients.

With donation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, enhancement work has been completed for the ward, such as installation of negative pressure rooms and isolation facilities to meet the required standards of infection control. 

The ventilation system of the step-down ward has also been enhanced, so that the airflow in the designated area is separated from the rest of the Hospital. Additional doors are installed at the entrance of the ward to form a buffer zone which helps stabilize the negative air pressure inside the ward.

Dr Fung Hong, Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, said: “The raging fifth wave of the epidemic has overwhelmed the capacity of public hospitals and a large number of confirmed patients are still pending for admission. CUHK Medical Centre will make every effort to support the government’s anti-epidemic work.”