'QEH move to Kai Tak will be seamless'

Health Minister Lo Chung-mau has assured the public that the relocation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital to its new Kai Tak location will proceed smoothly, in phases, to minimize any inconvenience for patients. The massive Kai Tak Hospital will begin operations in two stages, starting next month, gradually taking over clinical services from the former Queen Elizabeth Hospital site in King's Park.

Lo emphasized the importance of a seamless transition, stating that any patients with follow-up or new appointments at Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be smoothly moved to Kai Tak. In the unlikely event of an appointment being forgotten, the hospital will still provide necessary care at the appropriate location. Regarding staffing, Lo revealed that only 0.6% of the 30,000 nurses employed in public healthcare are non-locally trained, with no psychiatric nurses recruited from abroad by the Hospital Authority. The department places a strong emphasis on hiring locally trained nurses.