Hong Kong public hospitals ordered to check all ceiling hoists after cover falls off track in second device safety scare in 2 weeks
- Hospital Authority says it is ‘very concerned’ about incident – second involving equipment crashing down in space of about two weeks
- No patients or staff were injured when 17cm by 9.5cm cover fell off and use of hoist at Tuen Mun Hospital was suspended immediately
Authorities have ordered inspections of all ceiling hoists for lifting patients in Hong Kong public hospitals after an external cover fell off the track of one device in a ward on Wednesday evening.
The Hospital Authority said it was “very concerned” about the incident – the second involving equipment crashing down in the space of about two weeks – and had told all facilities to inspect hoists similar to the one involved at Tuen Mun Hospital.
The authority said no patients or staff were injured by the 17cm by 9.5cm cover and use of the hoist in question had been suspended immediately.
Staff were also reminded to conduct safety checks before operating such devices.
The hospital had reported to the authority that an external cover of a hoist track had fallen off in a medicine and geriatrics rehabilitation ward.
Patients being lifted had passed the section of track concerned before the cover fell, the authority said.
