Hong Kong's Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, addressed the Legislative Council today (July 17) in response to inquiries from LegCo members. He expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the patient and family involved in a tragic incident at Yan Chai Hospital, where a young girl suffered ischemic encephalopathy while medical staff were suturing her head wound.
Professor Lo stated that the Hospital Authority (HA) is providing the utmost care to the patient, and its Chief Executive, Dr. Tony Ko, has personally met with the family to apologize.
Professor Lo also revealed that the Health Bureau has directed the HA to actively investigate recent individual incidents, implement improvement measures, and conduct a comprehensive, independent review of the systemic and structural issues within the overall public hospital management system.
The Review Committee on the Management of the Public Hospital System, comprising members from diverse backgrounds, is tasked with completing the review by the end of September. They will then present their recommendations to the HA Board. The HA Board will consider the committee's recommendations and submit a report to the Health Bureau, according to Lo.
Subsequently, the Health Bureau and the HA will determine the next steps for follow-up actions to continuously enhance the overall quality and safety of the public healthcare system, thereby maintaining public trust in public healthcare services, he added.
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