Kowloon East Cluster (KEC)
The Kowloon East Cluster (KEC) serves an estimated population of 0.95 million covering the districts of Kwun Tong, Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung. The Cluster comprises three hospitals and eight general out-patient clinics.
The three hospitals are United Christian Hospital (UCH), Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) and Haven of Hope Hospital (HHH). Apart from hospitals and general out-patient clinics, the Cluster manages the out-patient and day patient facilities in Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre and Pamela Youde Polyclinic as well. The Cluster also provides a full range of comprehensive in-patient, day patient, out-patient, Accident & Emergency, as well as general, specialist, allied health, and community-based healthcare services.
In 2011-12, KEC continued to face challenges of escalating service demand with high complexity of illness from a growing elderly population. The Cluster strived to maximise operational efficiency and effectiveness through service rationalisation and prioritisation to serve the community. The TKOH Ambulatory Care Block was completed with enhanced facilities and has started serving the public since March 2012. The remaining alteration and improvement works of the hospital Main Block were in progress and expected to be completed by March 2013.
Key Achievements
Commencing service in May 2011, the new cataract centre at TKOH has doubled the annual capacity of cataract surgery handled by the Cluster to 5,000 cases and effectively shortened patients’ waiting time from 38 months in December 2010 to 21 months in a year. This year the Cluster expanded multi-disciplinary risk assessment and management programme to cover both diabetic patients and hypertensive patients in spite of stringent manpower. The programme optimised chronic disease management and provided patients with an integrated range of services in the community. The Cluster continued to strengthen renal dialysis service and chemotherapy day service in 2011-12.
The Cluster strived to enhance service quality and safety through upgrading the aseptic dispensing facility and service and setting up multi-disciplinary autistic service team to provide assessment and intervention services.
To keep modernising HA, KEC started providing hepatitis B virus DNA tests through an outsourced supplier in 2012. It was encouraging for KEC to learn that the long-awaited UCH expansion project would be implemented. Preparation work will start once funding is approved by Legislative Council. In parallel, the Cluster would closely monitor the re-provisioning of infirmary, community interface and carers’ support services in Haven of Hope Hospital in order to enhance in-patient rehabilitation and convalescent services.
On the other hand, UCH implemented contingency measures to manage sudden surge in demand of admission of residents from old aged homes due to consistent cold weather in winter. Nurses of the Community Geriatric Assessment Team were redeployed to work overtime in the Accident & Emergency Department (AED) to help doctors screen residents from old aged homes, reducing hospital admission by 15%. In the past, about 85% of residents attending AED were admitted.
KEC is committed to providing holistic care in order to meet the needs of patients. The service direction of the Cluster aligns with its philosophy of people-centred care and treating patients as our beloved ones.