Hong Kong public hospital staff member accused of ‘inappropriate physical examination’ of female patient
- Hospital Authority says alleged victim lodged complaint with North Lantau Hospital on February 15, which filed a report to police
- ‘[The hospital] is highly concerned about the incident and has launched an investigation immediately,’ authority says
A member of staff at a Hong Kong public hospital has been accused of conducting an “inappropriate physical examination” of a female patient during a consultation.
The Hospital Authority on Friday said North Lantau Hospital called police upon learning about the alleged incident, pledging to fully cooperate with the force’s investigation.
The woman lodged a complaint with the hospital on February 15, accusing a staff member of conducting the inappropriate physical examination, according to the authority.
The statement stopped short of sharing what allegedly happened during the incident or what it defined as an inappropriate examination.
“[The hospital] is highly concerned about the incident and has launched an investigation immediately,” the authority said. “The staff member involved in the incident has been posted out from clinical duties involving direct patient care.”
The hospital was in contact with the patient and would continue to offer any necessary assistance, it said.
The hospital has submitted a report to the authority’s head office.
The authority said it attached great importance to patient safety and always required staff members to uphold professional ethics.
“The [authority] will not tolerate any inappropriate behaviour to patients and will follow up stringently if any inppropriate conduct is found,” it added.
An authority spokesman said: “We have nothing to add except for what has been mentioned in the statement.”
A police spokesman said it received a report on Friday concerning the incident. The case was initially classified as “indecent assault” and the Lantau district crime squad was investigating. No arrests have been made.
