Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority is “well prepared” for a surge in demand for services over winter and will boost the patient capacity of clinics, officials have said, while voicing concerns over respiratory illnesses in children caused by multiple viral infections.
Dr Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief manager at the authority, on Friday said preparations for the expected surge included bringing in more staff, setting up an extra 103 beds and boosting the service capacity at general outpatient clinics by 5 to 10 per cent.
“For the surge for the forthcoming winter, due to the temperature change, I think there will be a threat to the healthcare system,” he said.
Lee said his concerns stemmed from multiple factors, such as an expected rise in demand amid a decrease in private healthcare services and the possibility of more severe cases over the Christmas holiday.
It was difficult to predict when public hospitals would see an uptick in cases, he said, while stressing the authority was doing its best to prevent the city’s healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed.
Dr Yeung Yiu-cheong, Princess Margaret Hospital’s deputy chief of service for medicine and geriatrics, said the latest data showed the number of Covid-19 cases were stable and seasonal flu infections remained low.
Hospital Authority chief warns of flu surge as Hong Kong enters mask-free winter
Hospital Authority chief warns of flu surge as Hong Kong enters mask-free winter
According to the authority, the number of samples that tested positive for seasonal flu at public laboratories stood at 4.52 per cent, below the 9.21 per cent threshold that signalled the start of a flu season.
Health officials also expressed concerns that some children being admitted to public hospitals had contracted multiple viral infections, as data showed the occupancy rate for paediatric wards had reached 97 per cent as of Thursday.
‘Hong Kong could face bigger flu outbreak this winter due to weakened immunity’
‘Hong Kong could face bigger flu outbreak this winter due to weakened immunity’
Dr Lee Kwok-piu, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital’s service chief for paediatrics and adolescent medicine, said the number of youngsters being treated in the wards had remained high since the city emerged from the coronavirus pandemic.
Most of the recent cases had contracted respiratory infections resulting from exposure to a variety of pathogens, instead of resulting from one or two common sources, he added.
“Perhaps, this particular year, we are seeing more patients with multiple viruses attacking our children, not only influenza, but also other viruses such as the rhinovirus, the parainfluenza virus and the adenovirus,” he said. “That is leading to persistently high occupancy in paediatrics.”
Authority chief manager Lee said possible responses to the uptick in cases included boosting manpower, providing more beds, as well as boosting the service capacity of some government clinics and transferring patients to other hospitals.
