The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesman for the Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (March 5) that out-patient non-emergency services of Kowloon West Cluster (KWC) will be adjusted gradually starting from next Monday (March 7). The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) will also adjust the service arrangement of donor centres to concentrate manpower and resources to combat the epidemic.
KWC reviewed the latest epidemic situation and decided to adjust the services of medicine specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs), some general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) and allied health out-patient clinics so as to focus on emergency and essential services.
The Cluster Chief Executive of KWC, Dr Alexander Law said, "the epidemic situation is extremely severe now. Service curtailment can concentrate manpower for the fight against epidemic and also reduce the flow of people and risk of cross infection."
The medicine SOPCs of KWC will focus on treatment for patients with urgent needs. Non-urgent appointments will be rescheduled and drug refill arrangement without doctor consultation will be offered for patients required follow-up.
The GOPCs service under KWC including the Yan Chai Hospital General Practice Clinic, Caritas Medical Centre Family Medicine Clinic will also be adjusted. Drug refill arrangement will be offered for chronic disease patients with stable condition who require follow-up. Patients who are in need can also seek consultation at other GOPCs in the district. The evening out-patient services of the North Lantau Community Health Centre will be suspended. Chronic disease patients with stable condition will be arranged for drug refill at day time.
Services for allied health out-patient clinics will be reduced. Physiotherapy service will focus on emergency or urgent trauma and post-operative rehabilitation, treatment for discharge patients including ambulation training, walking aids prescription, arrangement of outreach ventilators and provision of supporting services through telecare and the like. Occupational therapy service will focus on acute trauma treatment, post-operative care, home oxygen therapy and carer training for discharged elderly and arrangement of assistive devices. Those clinics will contact the patients affected for rescheduling appointments.
Besides, the service arrangement of some BTS donor centres will also be adjusted from today onwards:
- Sze Pang Nien Memorial Headquarters Donor Centre and Wan Chai Donor Centre will suspend service;
- Service hours of Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Causeway Bay and Tsuen Wan donor centres will change to 11am to 7pm, while the service hours of other donor centres remain unchanged.
The HA appeals to the public to understand the need for the service adjustment arrangements and apologises to the patients affected.
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