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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) launched the Jockey Club Endovascular & Minimal Access Operation Centre and the Jockey Club Endovascular Simulation and Skills Centre today (April 2). The Endovascular & Minimal Access Operation Centre is the first of its kind in Hong Kong, with state-of-the-art facilities including a Biplane Digital Subtraction Angiography Machine. It provides multi-disciplinary endovascular operation for patients suffering from vascular diseases, including those suffering from acute polytrauma.
The centres have been set up with a generous donation of $39.95 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Meanwhile the Jockey Club Endovascular Simulation and Skills Centre enables healthcare staff to receive training and practice in a simulated environment for the provision of safe, reliable and high-quality services to patients.
Officiating at the launch ceremony, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, remarked, "Following the international trend in developing multi-disciplinary operation and minimally-invasive treatment, Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a forerunner among local medical institutions in exploring opportunities in multi-disciplinary operations and minimally-invasive treatments for patients. Not only does this great achievement bring the inter-departmental collaboration into full play, it also provides patients suffering from vascular diseases with multi-disciplinary endovascular operation."
As a major acute general hospital in Hong Kong, QEH serves 1,700 patients with vascular diseases annually. Now, QEH has become a pioneer in establishing the first Endovascular & Minimal Access Operation Centre in Hong Kong with the installation of sophisticated equipment in both Surgery and interventional Radiology and Imaging. Together with support from staff of the Department of Anaesthesiology & Operating Theatre Services, this Operation Centre marks a new era of healthcare services in Hong Kong.
Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Donald Li said, "Our donation to Queen Elizabeth Hospital has enabled the establishment of this first endovascular and minimal access operation centre in Hong Kong, which can provide more effective treatment to patients with vascular diseases and benefit more patients in need. The centre marks a new milestone in local medical services."
The Jockey Club Endovascular Simulation and Skills Centre is founded with the purpose of providing a safe computerised-simulated environment for healthcare professionals to practise complicated operating procedures and team work.
Other officiating guests at the Launch Ceremony included Chairman of the Hospital Authority, Mr Anthony Wu; Chairman of the Hospital Governing Committee of QEH, Mr John Lee; and Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster/Hospital Chief Executive of QEH, Dr Hung Chi-tim.
Mr Wu took this opportunity to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for its generous donation. The elderly make up more than half of the Kowloon Central Cluster's inpatient population. The Jockey Club Endovascular and Minimal Access Operation Centre will help it meet the rising demand from elderly patients with endovascular diseases. He also thanked QEH staff for their contributions.
Last but not the least, on behalf of the Hospital Governing Committee of QEH and hospital staff, Mr Lee, expressed gratitude for the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and for the leadership and unfailing support from the Food and Health Bureau and the Hospital Authority.
Ends/Saturday, April 2, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:26
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