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Ombudsman Winnie Chiu urges authorities to step up publicity on the ‘low-charge beds’ in private hospitals. Photo: Dickson Lee

‘Low-charge beds’ in Hong Kong private hospitals underutilised, ombudsman says

  • Winnie Chiu says facilities in two private hospitals are not being used to their full capacity
  • She urges authorities to review policy on use of ‘low-charge beds’ and step up publicity so people know what they are entitled to

“Low-charge beds” provided by two Hong Kong private hospitals as part of their duty to help alleviate the burden of public hospitals are lying underutilised, according to the ombudsman.

The usage rate of such facilities in one private hospital ranged between 41 and 67 per cent over the past six years. At the other hospital, it ranged from 67 to 81 per cent, which was higher than the overall usage rate of its beds during the period.

The government watchdog called on authorities to review their policy on the use of these beds and step up publicity about the facilities.

“The purpose is really to serve the public so that [they] have the opportunity to use these hospital beds at a lower charge. This is also a social responsibility of the two hospitals that got the land grant under favourable conditions,” said Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin, releasing an investigation report on Thursday.

Slow start to Hong Kong hospital flu bed plan

While the ombudsman did not name the two hospitals, the Post earlier reported that at least 20 per cent of beds provided by Hong Kong Adventist Hospital in Tsuen Wan and St Teresa’s Hospital in Kowloon City should be set aside for permanent Hong Kong residents at rates similar to those charged by public hospitals for their third-class beds (HK$120 per day), according to the land-lease conditions.

The government decided, back in 1957, that a clause should be inserted into the land grants for private hospitals to require them to provide affordable beds. But out of five private hospitals that were given similar types of land grants, only these two had such clauses in their lease agreements.

Facilities in Hong Kong Adventist Hospital in Tsuen Wan and St Teresa’s Hospital in Kowloon City are not being used to their full capacity. Photo: Handout

The Hospital Authority signed agreements with the two hospitals to refer inpatients of public hospitals to use their “low-charge beds” during outbreaks of infectious diseases or influenza.

But during three previous influenza seasons – the summer and winter of 2017 as well as the winter of 2018 – one of these facilities accepted only two public hospital patients in total, while the other accepted 25 to 35 patients each season.

The ombudsman said it was “necessary” for the authority to investigate why patient referrals during peak influenza seasons had been ineffective and improve the reservation arrangements for the beds to avoid wasting resources.

If each patient stays in hospital for an average of two to four days and the admission rates of the “low-charge beds” reach 80 per cent, the 164 beds can handle about 12,000 to 24,000 patient admissions each year, according to the watchdog.

Private hospital offers beds to help overcrowding in Hong Kong’s public wards

“To ensure the safety of patients, they need to meet certain clinical conditions before they are referred [to private hospitals],” the authority said in a statement, responding to the report.

“[We] will consider the feasibility of operations, the safety and effectiveness of patient treatment, the wishes of patients, and also whether the hospitals can effectively relieve the pressure on the public medical system with the wider use of ‘low-charge beds’.”

The ombudsman also recommended the Food and Health Bureau and the Department of Health to proactively explore ways to better utilise the beds.

“If nobody knows about it, who’s going to benefit? … If it is promoted in a transparent and fair manner, I think Hong Kong people will know what choices they have in terms of using these low-charge hospital beds,” Chiu said.

The bureau and the department said they welcomed the recommendations from the watchdog and would follow up in a written reply.

“[We] will try to eliminate the misunderstandings and negative perceptions associated with ‘low-charge beds’ and recommend the two private hospitals increase the attractiveness of these facilities,” the Department of Health said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: ‘low-charge’ private hospital beds set aside to ease strain on system underutilised, ombudsman says
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