HK$500 million cash injection to be used on extra beds, staff and allowances, says Hong Kong hospitals boss
Hospital Authority chief executive Leung Pak-yin will use the funding to ease overloading and improve staffing amid winter flu surge
Hong Kong’s public hospitals are adding temporary beds, hiring more part-time staff and raising allowances after receiving an extra HK$500 million (US$64 million) from the government as they struggle to cope with a deluge of winter flu cases, the hospital chief said.
The 15-year-old girl was admitted to United Christian Hospital on Tuesday and transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit, the Centre for Health Protection said on Wednesday.
High demand has stretched public hospitals to breaking point, with patients complaining of a wait of up to 10 hours in the emergency units and the occupancy rate at medical wards soaring to 130 per cent – meaning temporary beds have had to be laid along the corridors.