Doctors Urge Police Not To Make Hospital Arrests

Four doctors groups and the medical sector lawmaker, Pierre Chan, on Friday jointly released a statement calling on the police not to arrest protesters seeking treatment in public hospitals.

They noted Police Commissioner Stephen Lo had admitted some arrests were made at public hospitals after violent clashes broke out on Wednesday outside the Legislative Council, and the doctors described it as a deviation from the norm.

The doctors said in their statement that such moves may deter injured people from seeking treatment.

They also said plain clothes officers walking around inside a hospital may not only violate patients’ privacy, but also affect the trust between medical staff and patients.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority issued a statement saying all data collected from patients are for clinical needs, and there’s a mechanism to handle law-enforcement agencies’ request for patients’ information.

It said front line staff may make inquiries with their superior or the authority if in doubt.