Chan defends Covid handling

Anti-epidemic efforts in the previous administration could not keep up with developments in Covid outbreaks, former health chief Sophia Chan Siu-chee admits, but she rejects claims that it was underprepared before the fifth wave infected millions earlier this year.

In a newspaper interview, Chan said authorities had planned in advance how to handle a possible fifth wave before it emerged in late December, which eventually stretched the health-care system beyond its limits.

She admits a policy used in the first four waves to require all Covid patients be hospitalized for 14 days regardless of symptoms had led to the low turnover rates for hospital beds.

When the same policy was adopted at the start of the fifth wave, large patient numbers jammed up hospital beds and new patients, including vulnerable seniors and children, were forced to wait outdoor in winter.

She said before the fifth wave hit, authorities had prepared for close contacts to undergo home quarantine, and when the daily caseload reached a certain level, patients would be allowed to isolate at home too.

But such plans had failed to keep up with the fast-spreading Omicron variant as daily infection numbers soon hit five digits and outbreaks got out of control.

"It was beyond our limits even though we were prepared," she said. "It's hard to say how much preparation is sufficient. At that point we thought it was sufficient but it might still become insufficient after some time."

Asked if former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's administration should apologize for the thousands who died because of Covid, Chan said it has done its best and people should "move on."

Chan, 64, has returned to being a nursing professor at the University of Hong Kong.

She said her 10 years in the civil service - five as undersecretary for health and five as secretary - was "very difficult, as if I was studying two PhDs."

Breaking down while recounting her colleagues battlling the pandemic, Chan put her tears down to being prone to tears.

Meanwhile, Hospital Authority geriatric specialist Pang Fei-chau was appointed the first commissioner for primary health care, with effect from yesterday.

Pang was its human resources director before resigning in August 2020. When thousands of medics went on strike to demand the SAR close borders to guard against Covid transmissions from up north, Pang, in a circular, said it reserved the right to hold staff accountable for unauthorized absences.