Emergency services and ward demand caused by protest crisis contributed to strain on Hong Kong’s public hospitals, outgoing authority chief says

John Leong reflects on challenges of overburdened sector, warning about double whammy from winter flu surge

More than 2,600 people have been injured in clashes since June, and some required intensive care

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Veteran businessman Henry Fan will take over as the head of the Hospital Authority on Sunday. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 11:20pm, 27 Nov 2019Updated: 6:21am, 28 Nov 2019

Hong Kong’s strained public hospitals are facing extra workload brought on by those injured amid the months-long protest crisis, the outgoing chairman of the Hospital Authority has said.

Professor John Leong Chi-yan made the comments on Wednesday as the anti-government movement, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, enters its sixth month.

“The approaching winter peak season, coupled with this situation, would be problematic,” he said.

Leong will step down as authority chairman at the end of the month and pass the torch to veteran businessman Henry Fan Hung-ling.

Businessman Henry Fan will replace John Leong as Hospital Authority chief. Photo: Dickson Lee

So far more than 2,600 people have been injured in clashes since June and sent to public hospitals for treatment. Some suffered injuries that required intensive care.

Leong said in the past few months, accident and emergency departments in public hospitals citywide sometimes saw an extra 100 to 200 patients daily.

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