New look for old Hong Kong hospital revealed as Kwong Wah set for major facelift

One of Hong Kong’s oldest hospitals is getting a major facelift to meet the demands of an ageing population, as well as shifting its focus to day care services to reduce the need for admissions.

Kwong Wah Hospital, located in the Yau Ma Tei district of Kowloon, was established in 1911, and most of the buildings are more than half a century old.

The redevelopment, slated for completion by 2025, will solve a number of problems the hospital faces including overcrowding, outdated facilities and deteriorating structural conditions.

“Because Kwong Wah Hospital is in an old building, there are many physical constraints that prevent us from moving with the times,” said Dr Chan Kam-hoi, a senior manager in charge of the redevelopment.

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For example, Chan said most hospitals had already upgraded to using electronic beds, but Kwong Wah had to return a number of these because switching all the manually controlled ones would have meant exceeding the total weight the building structure could support.