![Hkha hq](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Hkha_hq.JPG)
The Hospital Authority is a
statutory body managing all the
government hospitals and institutes in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
. It is under the governance of its
board and is under the monitor of the
Secretary for Food and Health
The Secretary for Health () is a ministerial position in the Hong Kong Government, who heads the Health Bureau. The current office holder is Lo Chung-mau.
The position was created on 1 July 2022, following the reshuffle of the principal o ...
of the
Hong Kong Government. Its chairman is
Henry Fan
Henry Fan Hung Ling, SBS, JP (; born 2 June 1948 in Shanghai, Republic of China with family roots in Ningbo, Zhejiang) was the managing director of CITIC Pacific and the vice-chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways. He is now the chairman of Hospit ...
.
History
Before the establishment of the
authority, all
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
medical
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
issues were under the management of the
Medical and Health Department. In 1990, a new
health administration
Health administration, healthcare administration, healthcare management or hospital management is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of public health systems, health care systems, hospitals, and hospital networks ...
system was introduced as part of the 1989 reforms. The establishment of the Authority served to rebuild
state capacity amid the emergence of party politics in Hong Kong. The department became the
Department of Health
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
and in 1991, the management of all the public hospitals was passed to a new statutory body, the Hospital Authority, which was established on 1 December 1990 under the
Hospital Authority Ordinance. In 2003, the
General Outpatient Clinic
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
s of Department of Health were transferred to the authority.
Hospital clusters
Hospital Authority has been providing services to the public under a cluster-based structure since 1993. It currently manages 43 public hospitals and institutions, 49 specialist outpatient clinics and 73 general outpatient clinics. As of 31 March 2019, it has a workforce of about 79,000 and some 28,000 beds. These facilities are organised into seven hospital clusters according to their geographical locations, as shown in the table below. Each hospital cluster comprises a mix of acute and convalescent or rehabilitation hospitals to provide a full range of healthcare services.
Corporate governance
Hospital Authority Board
According to the Hospital Authority Ordinance (Cap 113), the
Chief Executive of Hong Kong
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of governor of ...
appoints members of the Hospital Authority Board governing the authority. The present board consists of 27 members, including the chairman. Membership of the authority comprises 23 non-public officers, three public officers and the chief executive of the authority. Apart from the chief executive of the authority, other members are not remunerated in their capacity as board members.
Current and former chairmen
*Sir
Sze-yuen Chung,
GBM,
GBE,
JP (1 December 1990 – 31 March 1995)
*
Peter Woo Kwong-ching
Peter Woo Kwong-ching, GBM, GBS, JP (; born September 5, 1946) is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman. He was the chairman of Wheelock and Company Limited ()and The Wharf Holdings Limited () until 19 May 2015. As of April 2021, his net wor ...
,
GBM,
GBS,
JP (1 April 1995 – 30 September 2000)
*Lo Ka-shui,
GBS,
JP (1 October 2000 – 30 September 2002)
*
Edward Leong Che-hung,
GBM,
GBS,
OBE,
JP (1 October 2002 – 8 July 2004)
*
Anthony Wu Ting-yuk
Antony Wu Ting-yuk, GBS, JP, (born 1954)() is a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee of the People's Republic of China. He was appointed on 11 March 2013.
Early life
Wu ...
,
GBS,
JP (7 October 2004 – 30 November 2013)
*John Leong Chi-yan,
SBS,
JP (1 December 2013 – 30 November 2019)
*
Henry Fan Hung-ling,
SBS,
JP (1 December 2019 – present)
Current and former chief executives
*
Yeoh Eng-kiong
Dr. Yeoh Eng Kiong OBE, GBS, JP (; born 16 April 1946) was the Secretary for Health and Welfare between 1999 and 2002, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food and a member of the Executive Council between 2002 and 2004 in the Hong Kong Govern ...
,
OBE,
JP (January 1994 – September 1999)
*William Ho Shiu-wei,
JP (20 September 1999 – 19 September 2005)
*
Ko Wing-man,
JP (acting, 24 March 2003 – )
*Vivian Wong Taam Chi-woon,
JP (acting, 20 September 2005 – 28 February 2006)
*
Shane Solomon (1 March 2006 – 23 July 2010)
*Leung Pak-yin,
JP (8 November 2010 – 31 July 2019)
*Ko Pat-sing, Tony (1 August 2019 - )
Board Committees
To perform its roles and exercise its powers, the board has established 11 functional committees:
*Audit and Risk Committee
*Emergency Executive Committee
*Executive Committee
*Finance Committee
*Human Resources Committee
*Information Technology Services Governing Committee
*Main Tender Board
*Medical Services Development Committee
*Public Complaints Committee
*Staff Appeals Committee, and
*Supporting Services Development Committee.
Hospital Governing Committees
To enhance community participation and governance of public hospitals, the authority has established 31 Hospital Governing Committees in 38 hospitals and institutions. These committees received regular management reports from the hospital chief executives, monitored operational and financial performance of the hospitals, participated in human resources and procurement functions, as well as hospital and community partnership activities.
Regional Advisory Committees
To provide the authority with advice on the healthcare needs for specific regions of Hong Kong, the authority has established three Regional Advisory Committees. Each of the committees meets four times a year.
Funding
The authority is funded primarily by Hong Kong Government subvention, which amounted to HK$42.5 billion for 2012–2013, equating to over 90% of the authority's total income. Its other incomes include hospital and clinic fees and charges, donations, and investment.
The authority's total expenditure was HK$46.1 billion for 2012–2013, with 70% used to pay staff, and 14% to pay for drugs and other supplies.
Controversies
2003 SARS outbreak
In 2003, Hong Kong suffered from the outbreak of
SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''seve ...
and recorded considerable number of patients and casualties. The slow and delayed response of Hospital Authority was criticized. Believing that Hong Kong was safe from infectious diseases, the HA had inadequate preparation for facilities like isolated wards and single rooms that are important for the treatment of highly contagious diseases. In the early phase of the outbreak, public hospitals placed SARS patients in non-quarantined rooms that severely increased the chance of infection.
2008 milk contamination
On the day when a Hong Kong girl was diagnosed as the territory's first victim of the
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a significant food safety incident in China. The scandal involved Sanlu Group's milk and infant formula along with other food materials and components being adulterated with the chemical melamine, which res ...
, anxious parents were frustrated to discover that doctors at the special unit set up at the
Princess Margaret Hospital were taking the day off. Deputy Director of Health
Gloria Tam
Gloria may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music
* Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise
* Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise
** Gloria (Handel)
** Gloria (Jenki ...
said that it was "not something so urgent that it needs to be dealt with in 24 hours... They can go during office hours tomorrow". Medical sector legislator
Leung Ka-lau said the lack of daily cover during the crisis was "insensitive".
While the first victim left hospital after successful treatment one day later, two more children were admitted to hospital on 22 September; the Hospital Authority was reportedly overwhelmed when over 100 parents demanding check-ups for their children at Princess Margaret amids confusion about referrals and registration procedures, causing
Secretary for Food and Health
The Secretary for Health () is a ministerial position in the Hong Kong Government, who heads the Health Bureau. The current office holder is Lo Chung-mau.
The position was created on 1 July 2022, following the reshuffle of the principal o ...
,
York Chow
York Chow Yat-ngok (; born 1947, Hong Kong), GBS, SBS, MBE, was the Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong and a member of the Executive Council. He was appointed as Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food in 2004. The position has sinc ...
to grovel for having underestimated the problem. Chow pledged 18 additional facilities around Hong Kong would be operational the next day.
Waiting times
Waiting time for elective treatment is quite high. The average waiting time for cataract surgery in 2014 was 22 months.
Chinese medicine and COVID-19
In September 2022,
Henry Fan Hung Ling, chairman of the Hospital Authority, lobbied for a "significant expansion" of traditional Chinese medicine used in Hong Kong's public healthcare. Days later, the Hospital Authority released information from a study it conducted, showing that traditional Chinese medicine could be used to cure
long COVID
Long COVID or long-haul COVID (also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome, post-COVID-19 condition, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), or chronic COVID syndrome (CCS)) is a condition characterized by long-term health problems persisting or app ...
.
Rowena Wong Hau-wan, the Hospital Authority's chief manager (Chinese medicine), said "The research has served as evidence on treatment of Covid residual symptoms with Chinese medicine."
However, Professor Bian Zhaoxian admitted that the patients could have recovered naturally rather than because of the Chinese medicine, and that the study was not conducted using a scientific randomized controlled trial.
COVID-19 and public hospitals
On 27 August 2022, Health Secretary
Lo Chung-mau
Lo Chung-mau (, born 1961) is a specialist in liver transplant, currently the Secretary of Health of the Government of Hong Kong. Before joining the government, he was Hospital Chief Executive at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Chai ...
suggested that private hospitals were slacking and could be punished for not taking in non-COVID patients from public hospitals due to potential overcrowding at public hospitals, though Dr. Siddharth Sridhar of
HKU said that the overcrowding was because elderly patients with COVID-19 were often sent to public hospitals even if the severity of their symptoms was low.
Months later in November 2022, Lau Ka-hin of the Hospital Authority said that public hospitals would be allowed to have COVID-19 positive patients with low symptoms to isolate at home instead of being treated at the hospital.
Lau said that 60% of accident and emergency patients were taken in solely because of their COVID-19 positive result.
See also
*
Health in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the healthiest places in the world. Because of its early health education, professional health services, and well-developed health care and medication system, Hongkongers enjoy a life expectancy of 86 for females and 80 for m ...
*
List of hospitals in Hong Kong
This is a list of hospitals and other medical facilities in Hong Kong.
Public hospitals
All public hospitals in Hong Kong are managed by the Hospital Authority. They are organised into seven hospital clusters based on their locations.
Hong Kong ...
*
Fung Hong
*
Health informatics
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Hospital Authority
The Hospital Authority is a statutory body managing all the government hospitals and institutes in Hong Kong. It is under the governance of its board and is under the monitor of the Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Government. ...
1990 establishments in Hong Kong
Organizations established in 1990