Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (September 2) will be cancelled.

     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, today (September 1) extended his congratulations to Hong Kong Men's rugby sevens team on winning a gold medal in the 18th Asian Games, being held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia. 

     Mr Lau said, "The Hong Kong Men's rugby team achieved further from the silver medal won in the last Asian Games to the gold medal in this Asian Games. Their great performance deserves our congratulations and applause."

     The Hong Kong team has so far won 45 medals, namely eight gold medals, 18 silver medals and 19 bronze medals, at this Asian Games.

     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, today (September 1) extended his congratulations to Hong Kong squash athletes Annie Au, Chan Ho-ling, Ho Tsz-lok and Lee Ka-yi , as well as Lee Ho-yin, Au Chun-ming, Yip Tsz-fung and Henry Leung on winning a gold medal in the Women's Team event and a silver medal in the Men's Team event respectively in the 18th Asian Games, being held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.  

     Mr Lau said, "The squash team has demonstrated perseverance and delivered an outstanding performance. They have won glory for Hong Kong with their medals and they are the pride of our people."

     The Hong Kong team has so far won 44 medals, namely seven gold medals, 18 silver medals and 19 bronze medals, at this Asian Games. The list of other medals won on August 31 and today is as follows:

Today

Bronze medal
—————
Bridge: Women's Pair 
Pearlie Chan and Yeung Hoi-ning

Bridge: Men's Pair
Lai Wai-kit and Mak Kwok-fai

August 31

Silver medal
————-
Windsurfing – Women's RS:X
Hayley Chan

Windsurfing: Mixed RS One
Ma Kwan-ching and Rafeek Kikabhoy

Windsurfing: Men's RS:X
Michael Cheng

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the North District Hospital made the following announcement today (September 1) regarding a serious untoward event:

     A 64-year old male patient was admitted into the medical ward of the hospital via the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) for abdominal pain, vomiting and weakness in the lower limbs on April 23. He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and cardio-vascular disease. On April 24, computed tomography scan confirmed that he had pancreatic cancer which had metastasized to the liver. After having undergone a period of treatment and observation, he was discharged in the morning of May 4 with discharge medications which contained drugs for diabetes mellitus, heart conditions and blood pressure. While the patient was waiting for discharge, the ward nurse put the drugs in the drawer for discharged patients' drugs and had not handed them to the patient when he left the ward. The patient was eventually discharged from the hospital that afternoon via Non-Emergency Ambulance Transfer Services.

     According to patient's relative, she went to the ward on May 8 to enquire if the patient had been prescribed with discharge medications and was told no medications had been prescribed on his discharge. In the morning of May 17, ward staff discovered a drug package inside the drug drawer. After checking it was found that it belonged to the above discharged patient. His relative was contacted to get back the drugs from the hospital. Unfortunately the patient was found unconscious at home in the afternoon on the same day. He was sent to the AED of the hospital by ambulance and was certified dead after failing resuscitation. The case was reported to the Coroner. According to the death report, the cause of his death is cancer of pancreas with metastasis.

     On August 28, the hospital received feedback from the patient's relative that the patient had not been given discharge medications. It was noted that the incident had not been reported to the hospital management.

     The hospital is highly concerned about the incident. An expert panel will be set up to conduct an in-depth investigation into the incident and to review the workflows with regard to the handling of discharge medications, relatives' enquiries and reporting of incidents and to make recommendations on improvement. Meanwhile, the incident has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System.

     As regard the handling of discharged patients' drugs, drug prescriptions will be printed on patients' discharge summaries and ward staff are required to check if the discharge medications have been delivered to ward. There are also notices to remind staff to retrieve the discharge medications from the designated drug drawer. The electronic Patient Record (ePR) system is available in all wards, allowing staff to check up patients' medication records and to answer related enquiries, and incidents relating to medication are to be reported to the ward management.

     Subsequent to the incident, the hospital has implemented the following measures to further enhance clinical governance, with a view to prevent similar incidents from happening again:

1. All wards have arranged designated staff to check the designated drawer for discharge medications daily to ensure that all medications have been given out to the patients discharged that day;
2. All staff members are reminded again to strictly follow the established workflow in checking and handling discharge medications;
3. Ward staff are required to document enquiries from discharged patients or their relatives regarding drug prescriptions or sudden change in patients' health conditions so that other members of the team are aware of the enquiries and can follow up accordingly; and
4. Frontline staff training on incident reporting would be enhanced.

     The hospital is deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident and would like to extend its sincere apology and condolences to the deceased's relatives. The Patient Relations Office will keep close communication with the relatives to update them of the investigation results in a timely manner and will provide them with any assistance as far as feasible.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

    Regarding earlier announcements on two clusters of in-patients infected with Human Metapneumovirus and Rhinovirus respectively, the spokesperson for Siu Lam Hospital made the following update today (September 1):

     A cluster of patients had earlier been confirmed with Human Metapneumovirus in a male ward for severe intellectual disability. One more 63-year-old patient in the ward presented with respiratory symptoms. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patient. He is being treated under isolation with stable condition.

     In another male ward for severe intellectual disability, there was also a cluster of patients infected with Rhinovirus earlier. One more 62-year-old patient in the ward presented with respiratory symptoms. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patient. He is being treated under isolation with stable condition.

     Admission to the two wards has been suspended and restricted visiting has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the wards are under close surveillance.

     The cases has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.