Coronavirus: Hong Kong paramedics ‘stretched to the limit’ by fifth wave of cases, unions urge asymptomatic patients not to call emergency services

Name: Hong Kong seeks help from China as Covid-19 cases continue to skyrocket
Uploaded: 2022-02-14T11:42:42.000Z
Duration: 3 min 43 s
Description: Hong Kong seeks help from China as Covid-19 cases continue to skyrocket

Union chief says 3,000-strong paramedic workforce overloaded because of rising number of calls from Covid-19 patients on top of routine emergency requests

He estimates more than 80 per cent of coronavirus-related calls are from asymptomatic patients or those who have just tested positive using rapid kits

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Paramedics are putting in 15-hour shifts because of the demand for emergency services. Photo: Dickson Lee

Christy Leung

Published: 7:42pm, 14 Feb 2022Updated: 10:02pm, 14 Feb 2022

Hong Kong’s worsening fifth wave of Covid-19 infections has stretched paramedics’ manpower and workload to an “unprecedented” level, unions have warned, urging patients with no symptoms or those who test positive with rapid kits not to call the emergency services.

Their appeal came as the city confirmed a record 2,071 new coronavirus cases and reported more than 4,500 preliminary infections on Monday. The Hospital Authority has repeatedly urged people who test positive not to go to already overstretched accident and emergency (A&E) wards at public hospitals.

The Fire Services Department operates more than 430 ambulances across the city.

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Hong Kong seeks help from China as Covid-19 cases continue to skyrocket

Tong Sze-ho, chairman of the Fire Services Department Ambulance Officers Association, said the 3,000-strong paramedic workforce was overloaded because of a rising number of calls from Covid-19 patients on top of routine emergency requests.

He estimated that more than 80 per cent of coronavirus-related calls were from asymptomatic patients or those who had just tested positive using rapid test kits. But as a rule, paramedics still had to transport them to hospital upon request, though A&E might not admit these patients.

“Our manpower is facing unprecedented challenges. I understand patients are worried about their situation. But emergency rooms usually refuse to admit them upon arrival or ask them to wait, meaning the patients will be stranded,” Tong said. “They will therefore hold up the ambulance for the next emergency call.”