The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) today (December 18) extends its heartfelt gratitude to Mr Li Ka-shing for his generous donation of $6 million, which will support the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments of 17 public hospitals. This funding will facilitate the analysis of brain computed tomography (CT brain) scan images, benefitting an estimated total of over 570 000 patient services in the next three years.
The ageing population has resulted in an increasing number of patients with chronic diseases, leading to a growing demand for public healthcare services. This has posed daunting challenges to the HA. To ensure the sustainability of public healthcare services, the HA has proactively embraced AI technology to enhance service efficiency, patient safety, and service quality. The Li Ka Shing Foundation's generous donation will enable the introduction of AI technology into the A&E Departments of public hospitals, facilitating more efficient and accurate analysis of CT brain scan images to identify life-threatening conditions such as brain injuries and intracranial haemorrhage. This technology allows real-time analysis and detection of bleeding in brain, thereby improving accuracy and expediting the treatment process in critical situations.
The Chairman of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, Mr Li, stated, "I have long been an advocate of leveraging technology to enhance healthcare services. The use of a comprehensive deep learning system can support radiologists and healthcare professionals with diagnostic accuracy, triage and flexibility to better serve our community. We are privileged to be part of the HA's small steps of giant leaps into the future."
The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, said, "The HA expresses sincere gratitude to Mr Li Ka-shing for his generous donation, which supports the HA in developing 'smart hospital' that provides 'smart healthcare' to citizens. The AI technology will enhance the accuracy and efficiency in diagnosing acute brain problems, ultimately improving medical effectiveness and ensuring the sustainable development of healthcare services."
The application of AI technology in healthcare not only assists healthcare teams in promptly identifying changes in patients' conditions, making appropriate clinical judgments and expediting the implementation of treatment plans, but also helps streamline clinical workflow processes. Currently, the HA has adopted AI technology in the A&E Departments and General Outpatient Clinics to facilitate the analysis of chest and hip joint X-ray images, reducing the time required for reviewing abnormal X-ray images. In the future, the HA will continue introducing suitable AI technologies to assist in image analysis and enhance diagnostic efficiency.
The HA again expresses appreciation to the Li Ka Shing Foundation for the generous donation, which benefits patients and significantly alleviates the pressure faced by the A&E Departments of public hospitals.
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