Hong Kong’s largest hospital opens in Kai Tak with launch of general outpatient services

Kai Tak Hospital, Hong Kong's largest public hospital, has commenced operations with the launch of general and specialist outpatient services in its first phase. Situated in Kowloon Bay, the 500,000-square-meter facility will house 2,400 beds upon completion. The opening ceremony is divided into two stages, with the first phase featuring the opening of the Specialist Outpatient Clinic Block, which houses the Family Medicine Integrated Centre, as well as the Oncology Block.

Gradual commencement of examinations by certain departments, including radiology and pathology, is set to begin in October. The Family Medicine Integrated Centre at Kai Tak Hospital received full bookings on its opening day, according to a government statement.

Kai Tak Hospital aims to replace Yau Ma Tei's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which previously held the title of Hong Kong's largest public hospital with 2,018 beds. Services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital are gradually being transferred to Kai Tak Hospital, while the Yau Ma Tei site will undergo redevelopment for other healthcare purposes. The inauguration of Kai Tak Hospital occurred 10 years after it was initially proposed in the government's 2016 Policy Address.

The second phase of the hospital's opening, slated for 2028, will introduce accident and emergency services, which will be approximately three times larger than the current scale at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Clinical services in the remaining specialties, such as pediatrics and gynecology, will also commence by that time.