New Territories West hospitals set to face continuing squeeze despite HK$200 billion plan, say Hong Kong politicians
Lawmaker and former district councillor complain that not enough is being done to ease shortage of beds and manpower in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long
A 10-year development plan for public hospitals has allocated few resources to address a shortage of beds and manpower in New Territories West, according to a lawmaker and a former district councillor.
The HK$200 billion plan, which includes the provision of 5,000 additional hospital beds throughout Hong Kong, sees most of the resources earmarked for Kowloon Central, where the new 2,400-bed Kai Tak Hospital will open in seven years.
But less will be done in New Territories West, with Tuen Mun Hospital being the only acute general facility in the district. The bed-to-population ratio there is among the lowest in the city.
The ratio of beds per 1,000 people in New Territories West is 2.2 – much lower than the average of 3, according to the authority. It is also below the target of 5.5 set by government planning standards and guidelines.
This year, Tuen Mun ranked worst among all public hospitals in surgical performance, according to the authority’s annual report. It has also been involved in a series of medical blunders in recent years.