$3.75m monthly for idle pandemic hospitals

The government is spending HK$3.75 million a month to maintain the makeshift hospitals built during the pandemic that will be used for non-medical purposes soon, lawmakers were told yesterday.

Speaking at the special Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting, Permanent Secretary for Health Thomas Chan Chung-ching said the cost is mainly for security and cleaning work.

"The government will gradually make follow-up arrangements for standby community isolation facilities. The Department of Health will be responsible for security and cleaning before they are converted for other purposes," Chan said.

Six isolation facilities in Hung Shui Kiu, Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Fanling, Penny's Bay, the runway area of Kai Tak and the Lok Ma Chau Loop have yet to be converted.

The most expensive facilities to maintain are in Penny's Bay, costing about HK$1.7 million monthly, followed by Lok Ma Chau Loop at HK$1.4 million monthly, according to a Development Bureau paper.

Chan said the makeshift hospital in Lok Ma Chau is now providing medical services.

Some units near the Hong Kong boundary crossing of HZMB and at Penny's Bay will be reserved exclusively for epidemic prevention purposes in case of an emergency.

Lawmakers urged the government to convert isolation facilities for other uses as soon as possible.

Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said the money should be spent on more urgent needs such as medical equipment and new hospitals, given the scarce medical resources.

He also suggested that standby makeshift hospitals be used to accommodate subdivided flat tenants.

Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong said the government should not leave the facilities idle for a long time.

"It's not cost-effective to pay over HK$3 million to maintain the facilities," Ho said.

Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan suggested that the government convert the facilities into transitional housing units or light public housing flats.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau responded that makeshift hospitals have been handed over to an inter-departmental group led by Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun and are expected to be converted for non-medical use soon.

The government also revealed it spent HK$6 billion to purchase almost 31.5 million Covid vaccine doses.

However, as of the end of February, some 280,000 doses had been destroyed, accounting for 1.2 percent of all purchased vaccines.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com