Coronavirus Hong Kong: Queen Elizabeth Hospital to dedicate its more than 2,000 beds to treating serious cases, source says
- Top hospital in Kowloon becomes third in city to dedicate its resources to treating infected residents
- All emergency ambulance transfers will be diverted to other public hospitals, while non-Covid-19 patients will be discharged or transferred, insider says
Queen Elizabeth, the leading hospital in Kowloon with more than 2,000 beds, started the conversion process on Tuesday, in the hope of providing better care for seriously ill coronavirus patients, a medical source revealed.
“We hope to focus our resources to do better,” another insider said. “This is not just a slogan … there are clinical needs.”
Tin Shui Wai Hospital began reserving its 300 beds for Covid-19 patients on February 26 and accepts only residents in urgent medical need, while diverting others to Tuen Mun Hospital.
North Lantau Hospital designated its 160 beds for Covid-19 care on March 2, but maintains its accidents and emergency department for critical patients who are not infected, with others sent to Princess Margaret Hospital.
After the conversion, Queen Elizabeth Hospital will move about 400 of its Covid-19 patients languishing in corridors into clinical wards and take in about 100 others being treated in nearby Kwong Wah Hospital, the medical source revealed.
All emergency ambulance transfers will be diverted to other public hospitals, while non-Covid-19 patients will be discharged or transferred to other public or private hospitals or residential care homes.