Kai Tak Hospital opens smoothly on first day as early patients queue

Kai Tak Hospital, Hong Kong's largest public medical facility, began phased operations today, taking over from Queen Elizabeth Hospital as the flagship healthcare provider for the Kowloon Central Cluster.

The first phase sees the opening of the Specialist Outpatient Block and the Oncology Block, providing services such as a family medicine clinic, specialist outpatient care, allied health, phlebotomy, and radiotherapy. 

The hospital expects to handle about 350 family medicine appointments daily, with all slots for today already fully booked on the Hospital Authority's HA Go app. Over 10 patients gathered outside the entrance before opening hours to queue for registration, as healthcare staff handed out surgical masks.

The new hospital serves residents in Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong, though its relatively remote location has raised public concern over transport convenience.

A field test by Sing Tao Headline showed that walking from the nearby MegaBox shopping mall via a footbridge to the Block 4 Specialist Outpatient Clinic takes about 10 minutes. However, elderly visitors noted that negotiating the route and transfer connections remains difficult.

One elderly couple traveling from Mong Kok spent 45 minutes on Minibus 88A from Wong Tai Sin before alighting at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital, followed by a 10-minute walk on crutches to reach Kai Tak Hospital.

The Hospital Authority said 10 bus routes and six minibus routes connect the hospital precinct to major areas in Kowloon, including five MTR stations offering transfer options. Additionally, Rehabus operators started a shuttle service today connecting MTR Kai Tak and Lok Fu stations with the hospital precinct to assist disabled patients.

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