Flu logjam highlights hospital woes

When Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor paid a visit to the jam-packed accident and emergency (A&E) ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on Sunday evening it showed not only her new style of governance - quick response to people's livelihood issues - but also the gravity of the situation. The latest flu crisis, which has killed 157 people so far this summer, is putting huge pressure on public hospitals. On Monday, those admitted into QEH through its A&E ward had to wait for more than 24 hours on average.

Different reasons have been given to account for why the summer flu peak has wreaked havoc on our medical system. The most talked-about factor is manpower shortage - an old problem worsening as time goes by. A Hospital Authority (HA) annual report issued early this year showed that, despite all the newly graduated doctors and nurses joining the HA every year, there will be a shortfall of more than 800 doctors and 1,300 nurses in 10 years' time because of natural loss. In the Report of Strategic Review on Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development released on June 14, the manpower problem in the medical sector was dealt with. But there has been criticism that the target of this report is still not sufficient to really solve the long-term manpower shortage.

Some members of the medical sector have cited insufficient resources as the main reason for the shortage. Lam pledged on Sunday that if it is a lack of resources, the government would give its full support. But she admitted money might not be the ultimate solution to the problem.

We certainly must train more doctors to man our public medical facilities but that takes a long time. To shorten queues in A&E wards, we must look at options that could take effect much faster. The HA is already reshuffling resources within its system, redeploying medical staff from other departments to A&E wards and employing part-time staff to alleviate pressure. But that still seems insufficient.

Meanwhile, help might be available outside the HA system. There are private clinics and outpatient departments of private hospitals in the city that provide 24-hour medical services. Health authorities could encourage more such services and subsidize those who seek urgent medical consultations there. The advantage of this arrangement is that it could handle seasonal fluctuations without unnecessarily bloating the HA establishment during non-peak seasons.

But it is always true that "prevention is better than cure". The government is providing a very comprehensive flu vaccination program and we should take full advantage of it. Stopping the flu virus before it could inflict harm is the best solution.

(HK Edition 07/18/2017 page8)