The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) made the following announcement today (June 29):
A 58-year-old patient, who had stayed in two of the Medicine and Geriatric male wards of PMH, was confirmed to be a carrier of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) on June 18. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has commenced contact tracing and identified eight more patients (aged 61 to 95) to be VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. The index patient and another seven patients are still hospitalised in PMH while one patient has been transferred to North Lantau Hospital. All of them are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.
The hospital infection control team has followed up with the departments concerned and the Centre for Health Protection. The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted in the wards:
1. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the wards concerned;
2. Applied stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
3. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures.
The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation of the wards. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
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