Negative Pressure System Out Of Order At Hospital

The Hospital Authority said a system that keeps isolation wards under negative pressure at Princess Margaret Hospital failed to function properly for half an hour on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred at the hospital's Infectious Disease Centre, where Covid-19 patients are being treated.

The authority's chief manager, Linda Yu, said it was investigating which patients were under the isolation technique at the time, and it's not immediately known whether or how they were affected.

"Currently, all patients have to wear a surgical mask, and our healthcare workers have protective gear. To a certain extent, the impact can be reduced," she said.

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said a router at the centre's central control and monitoring system was not working properly and needed an urgent repair.

In a reply to RTHK, the department said it was still investigating the cause of the glitch.

Negative room pressure allows air to flow inside but not outside from the wards, preventing cross-contamination from room to room.

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