The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

    The spokesperson for Pok Oi Hospital (POH) made the following announcement today (December 23) regarding the latest update of a Legionella infection case:
 
     A male patient (aged 73) in the Medicine and Geriatrics Ward of POH was confirmed with Legionnaires' Disease (LD) on December 13. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) took water samples from the hospital on December 14 and 21. The source of infection for the patient is still being investigated. 
 
     The hospital has already implemented a series of precautionary and infection control improvement measures since December 14, including:
 

1. Replacing shower heads with bacterial filter and installing bacterial filters on basin faucets;
2. Suspending use of designated basin faucets;
3. Providing distilled water and boiled water to ward patients with low immunity for mouth washing; and
4. After communicating with the CHP, the hospital has implemented clinical surveillance of contacts of the patient concerned, staff and other patients in the ward.

     With regard to the latest laboratory results of CHP, the hospital has arranged a thorough disinfection exercise for the respective water supply system tomorrow (December 24), and the disinfection procedure is expected to be completed on December 26. Water supply in the hospital will be partially affected during the exercise. In this regard, the hospital has made appropriate arrangements and explained the situation to patients. The hospital will provide distilled and clean water to all wards and affected areas for patients' use and domestic use. The hospital has scheduled the disinfection exercise during the weekend to minimise the impact on service users.
 
     The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office according to established guidelines. In addition to the above precautionary and improvement measures, the hospital has reminded all medical and nursing staff to be vigilant and continue to closely monitor the situation on the ward. Moreover, the hospital will co-operate with the CHP in the investigation of the source of infection.

     Clinical services will remain normal throughout the disinfection exercise. The hospital appreciates service users' understanding on any inconvenience caused by the disinfection exercise.

Ends/Friday, December 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:05

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