Seven Public Hospitals Reach Or Exceed Full Capacity

The Hospital Authority (HA) announced on Thursday that seven of its public hospitals have reached or exceeded their full capacity amid the Covid-19 outbreak, with all of their inpatient beds taken up.

Figures released by the HA showed that a total of 4,142 people visited the accident and emergency departments of various public hospitals on Wednesday, with around 17 percent of the patients being subsequently admitted.

The overall occupancy rate of the 17 public hospitals was 95 percent.

The Prince of Wales Hospital, Tin Shui Wai Hospital and Tseung Kwan O Hospital were the most overwhelmed, with their occupancy rates reaching 108, 107 and 106 percent respectively.

The United Christian Hospital, Caritas Medical Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Tuen Mun Hospital were also operating at full capacity.

Outside the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, for example, some patients were seen waiting on mobile hospital beds on sidewalks or under tents.

The chairman of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, David Chan, told an RTHK programme that the situation is not ideal, saying patients are at risk of developing hypothermia, which could further complicate their illnesses.