Flood of flu patients forces cuts to hospital services
With resources stretched, authorities fear extra demand over Easter holiday
For weeks, public hospitals have been flooded with flu sufferers, forcing a reduction in non-emergency services. Now, the Hospital Authority is worried conditions could get worse, especially with Easter approaching.
Liu Shao-haei, the authority's chief manager for infection, emergencies and contingencies, said acute medical and geriatric wards in major hospitals had been full or nearly full for the past five of six weeks. Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital at Tai Po and Tuen Mun Hospital had been worst affected.
At one point, the daily occupancy rate of the acute medical and geriatric wards at Prince of Wales Hospital exceeded capacity by 30 per cent. Patients had to be transferred to other wards or moved to other hospitals.
'Some non-emergency services, such as elective surgery, had to be reduced temporarily as well,' Dr Liu said.
According to the Centre for Health Protection's surveillance system, 55 of every 10,000 patients visiting public outpatient clinics last week had influenza-like illness, compared with 42 per 10,000 a month ago. Still, the ratio was lower than that of a year ago, when 61 in every 10,000 patients had flu symptoms.
Dr Liu said old people and those with chronic illness were most susceptible to flu.
Hospital managers are worried about the Easter weekend - more people use hospital emergency services during public holidays than at other times - since some private doctors may be on holiday.
Dr Liu said the overcrowding seemed to be lasting longer than last year. 'The occupancy rate of these wards last year after the Lunar New Year Holiday was high too, but it did not last as long. We don't know the reasons, but we are worried the wards may be even more packed as Easter is approaching.'
He urged people to see their family doctors promptly if they showed flu symptoms so as to reduce the risk of developing complications which might require admission to hospital.
He also called on the elderly and those with chronic illness to take advantage of the government's free flu vaccination programme, which will last until late next month. About 70,000 doses of influenza vaccine are still available out of the 390,000 ordered by the programme.
A gerontologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Paul Shea Tat-ming, said frontline hospital staff had been under great stress. 'Wards designed for 45 beds have to be fitted with eight to 10 extra beds. They are so crowded the beds are almost touching.'
Dr Shea said that besides the changeable weather, the growing proportion of elderly in the population was contributing to the higher hospital admissions.
Infectious diseases expert Lo Wing-lok noted that the peak flu season could last from February to July.
