Letters | A quick cure for Hong Kong’s health care crisis could be just a few clicks away

Public hospitals are facing a manpower shortage resulting in long waiting times for patients
E-consultation is the most efficient way to ensure patients are diagnosed quickly and to spread the medical staff’s workload around different hospitals

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Letters

Published: 7:45am, 15 Dec 2019

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As Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and boasts the longest life expectancy globally, it is no wonder that public hospitals are struggling with a manpower shortage and strained resources. Waiting times for those seeking treatment are outrageous, stretching hours, months and years. Why aren’t hospitals going digital?

That Hong Kong’s life expectancy is the longest in the world is a testament to the quality of our medical facilities. Unfortunately, the elderly population is being seen as a burden on the health care system. The Census and Statistics Bureau estimates that by 2036 more than 30 per cent of the population will be aged 65 and above.

The shortage of staff and resources has led to overcrowding in hospitals. Waiting times even for emergency cases are appalling. In December 2018, a 72-year-old man died of a haemorrhage due to a delay in surgery. After he arrived at the hospital, it took almost an hour for him to be diagnosed. There is clearly a need for more doctors and quicker triage.

Telemedicine, which allows patients to be diagnosed remotely via electronic communication, is the most efficient way to address these issues. Patients consult physicians via video conference. Patients can send photos of the area needing treatment to specialised health care professionals for a quick digital diagnosis.

E-consultation would help classify patients by severity, reducing the number of people in hospital waiting rooms. This would benefit patients who urgently need monitoring and care. Patients who lack mobility or the resources to travel would also benefit from this system.

The manpower crunch affects not only patients’ but also doctors’ health, causing stress and longer working hours. Telemedicine would spread the workload around different hospitals.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong conducted a study entitled “An exploratory qualitative study of patients’ views on medical e-consultation in a public primary care setting”. They found that patients were in favour of this kind of consultation. For example, a female civil servant said that when she needs a gynaecologist, she would rather find one online because the gynaecologist near her home is a male doctor. Clearly patients would be empowered by the ability to choose who to consult.

Here’s what Hong Kong’s hospitals need more than HK$500 million extra

The Department of Health must promote digital health care services, such as a telemedicine app, in all hospitals as this is the only way to ensure patients are seen and monitored without delay or stress.

Amba Tommi Tyrie, Kowloon Tong

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