'QEH move to Kai Tak will be seamless'

Health Minister Lo Chung-mau has announced that the relocation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital to Kai Tak Hospital will be a smooth process. The Hospital Authority's largest hospital will launch services in two stages, with the initial phase starting next month. As the first phase of the move progresses, clinical services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be gradually transferred to Kai Tak Hospital.

Meanwhile, the King's Park site of Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be transformed into Hong Kong's inaugural integrated ambulatory care hospital. Lo spoke at a press conference regarding the Hong Kong government's five-year plan and the recent Policy Address. He emphasized that the phased relocation is intended to minimize disruptions for patients.

The minister reassured that patients with follow-up or new appointments at Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be smoothly transferred to Kai Tak Hospital. In case a patient forgets their appointment and arrives at the wrong location, the hospital will provide the necessary care on-site. Concerning the workforce, Lo stated that only approximately 0.6% of the nearly 30,000 nurses working in public healthcare are non-locally trained, amounting to around 180 individuals.

Additionally, no non-locally trained psychiatric nurses have been hired by the Hospital Authority. Health officials have made a priority of recruiting locally graduated nurses.