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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority¡¯s Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Response (CCIDER) held a meeting today (March 7) and members discussed the measures to cope with the current influenza season and the associated surge in patient attendance and bed occupancy in public hospitals and clinics.
The following contingency measures will be implemented as and when necessary in different hospital clusters to cope with the surge in demand:
- Enhance support to old aged homes by Community Geriatric Assessment Service, Community Nursing Service and Visiting Medical Officer programmes;
- Create additional observation areas and temporary areas to solve the capacity limitation of Emergency Medical Wards and reduce unnecessary admission to medical wards;
- Strengthening the gate-keeping at AEDs by joint clinical management supported by clinicians of Paediatrics, Medical and Geriatrics Departments;
- More frequent ward rounds in paediatric, medical and geriatric wards, especially during weekends to ensure early discharge of appropriate patients;
- Early discharge of stable patients to the community with appropriate follow up and transfer appropriate patients to convalescent hospitals for further management;
- Overflow excess medical patients to other wards by using the bed alert mechanism;
- Strengthen the use of ambulatory wards and open additional beds in both acute and convalescent wards to accommodate the increase in admission;
- Reduce non-urgent admission and activities.
During the influenza season, the HA urges the public to take care of personal hygiene to build up good body immunity. The public is also reminded on the proper use of public hospital service by first seeking consultation with family doctors for minor ailment to avoid long waiting at busy AEDs. AED doctors will assess and triage patients for admission arrangement. If there is a sudden surge in patients seeking consultation, patients with minor ailment may need to wait longer at the AEDs.
HA also urged healthcare workers to remain vigilant and reminded the general public that good personal hygiene including proper hand washing and putting on surgical masks at appropriate timings are best ways to beat the influenza.
Starting from today, the HA will support the Centre for Health Protection¡¯s (CHP) daily information update on the development of seasonal influenza by providing the AED attendance rate and the admission rate of paediatric patients (0 ¡ª 4 years old) and elderly patients (65 years old and above) due to influenza. Beginning on March 10, public hospitals will also report to the CHP paediatric death with presenting symptoms of fever and cough.
The HA will continue to co-operate with the CHP to keep the general public and professionals posted of the most updated situation and essential information.
Ends/Friday, March 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:54
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