Hospital Authority reserves quotas to support COVID-19 patients
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (January 29) that in order to align with the government’s cancellation of issuing isolation orders from tomorrow (January 30), all General Out-patient Clinics (GOPCs) will implement special measures to reserve sufficient quotas to support COVID-19 patients.
The HA spokesman said, “The HA has strengthened its manpower to cope with the possible increase in service demand. GOPCs have enhanced its episodic consultations to more than 10 000 quotas daily, and among the quotas, around 2 000 are reserved for COVID-19 patients. Besides, additional reserved quotas in day and evening clinic session will be deployed to support COVID-19 patients as appropriate. The HA Emergency Operation Command will closely monitor the situation and flexibly deploy resources to meet service demands so as to support necessary patients.”
Except the Kam Tin Clinic and Lek Yuen GOPC, all the 71 GOPCs will resume normal operation from tomorrow, which will provide treatment service to COVID-19 patients and will prescribe oral drugs to patients as appropriate.
All COVID-19 patients can use the “Book COVID (GOPC)” function of the “HA Go” mobile app or the GOPC Telephone Appointment System to book an appointment. Patients can refer to the HA webpage www.ha.org.hk for the booking telephone number.
COVID-19 patients can also call the HA enquiry hotline 1836 115. The hotline will support all COVID-19 patients, including the referral of COVID-19 patients who are in need of GOPCs for further treatment.
In addition, the seven “Care Booking Line” (Annex) will continue to provide assistance to patients, where priority will be given to the high-risk patients (including the elderly, children aged 5 or below, women at 28 or more weeks of pregnancy, and immunocompromised patients) to make appointments.
The HA urges confirmed patients with mild symptoms or lower risk to consult private doctors so as to alleviate the pressure on the Accident and Emergency or GOPC services. Patients who require COVID-19 oral drugs can refer to the following hyperlink to consult the relevant private doctors: www.coronavirus.gov.hk/pdf/tp_pd_antiviral.pdf.
Starting from tomorrow, the HA will announce the information of GOPCs quota reserved for COVID-19 patients at 8.30am and 1pm so as to facilitate COVID-19 patients to book an appointment. Patients can refer to the following hyperlink:
HA Website: www.ha.org.hk
HA Patient Designated Website “Walk with Us – Combat COVID-19”: www32.ha.org.hk/covid
“The HA will fully co-operate with the Government’s policies and closely monitor the service needs of different medical units to ensure that confirmed patients can receive treatment promptly. The HA will continue to adjust services according to the situation to take care of other patients in need,” the HA spokesman added.