Hong Kong hospital unveils plan to evacuate 600 inpatients if unexploded wartime bomb is found during excavations for redevelopment project
- Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam is located on site targeted by air raids during World War II and has been forced to evacuate twice before
- Three blocks are to be demolished to make way for new building, with excavations expected to begin in September
The public Queen Mary Hospital could evacuate inpatients to other hospitals if an unexploded wartime bomb is found during excavation work to be carried out later this year, as part of the hospital’s redevelopment project.
The Pok Fu Lam hospital would also suspend its specialist outpatient clinic as well as accident and emergency services for up to 48 hours as part of the contingency plan it announced on Tuesday. The plan was established in light of the fact the construction site, where three buildings will be demolished to make space for a new block to enhance emergency services, was a frequent target of air raids during the Second world war.
“There will be a certain degree of service reorganisation, but it’ll be done within a very controlled environment. We hope that the plan, together with timely communication can keep our patients reassured,” said Dr Theresa Li, chief executive of Hong Kong West Cluster public hospitals overseeing the project.
Phase one of the redevelopment project centres on the demolition of three hospital buildings, namely the pathology building, housemen quarters, and clinical pathology building.
A new block, expected to be complete in 2024, will be erected in their place and will include a floor dedicated to emergency services and a rooftop landing pad to receive patients flown in by helicopters.
Excavation work will begin in early September.
In 2015, an unexploded bomb was found on a construction site at Queen Mary Hospital, causing more than 600 people to evacuate, after which the police made two controlled explosions to detonate the bomb.