HK emergency rooms brace for post-Lunar New Year surge amid flu season

Hong Kong's emergency rooms are experiencing a surge in patient numbers as the city enters the winter flu season. Dr. Ko Pat-sing, Chief Executive of Hospital Authority (HA), stated today (Jan. 11) on a TV program that attendance at public emergency rooms has risen significantly since the Christmas holidays. He anticipates a peak in demand during and after the Lunar New Year, with increased staffing and adjustments to non-urgent services already in place.

Ko revealed that daily emergency room visits have climbed from an average of 4,000–5,000 cases to over 5,000–6,000 cases recently. Hospital admissions to internal medicine wards have also increased from around 900 patients per day to more than 1,000 daily, with many cases attributed to influenza and upper respiratory infections. Older adults account for a significant portion of the increase in patient numbers.

He expects emergency room demand to peak in the one to two weeks following the Lunar New Year and confirmed that additional healthcare staff have been deployed, particularly in emergency and internal medicine departments. Adjustments to scheduled outpatient and diagnostic services may also be made to accommodate the surge.

Ko also said that the HA is working with the government to review public healthcare fees, aiming to encourage better utilization of emergency services while considering the financial burden on the public.

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