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Hospitals overflowing as cold snap hits Hong Kong
Health officials said on Friday that the city's accident and emergency departments were overflowing with patients, as the city sees its lowest temperatures of the winter so far. The average occupancy rates for inpatient beds at 16 public hospitals was 103 percent in the early hours of the morning.There were more patients than beds at 11 of the hospitals, with the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po the most overcrowded, with an occupancy rate of 121 percent. Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei and Yuen Long's Pok Oi Hospital were not far behind when it came to overcapacity, with these hospitals seeing a similar situation throughout the week.Last week, the Hospital Authority said it was stepping up its services as the winter flu season closes in, with 500 new regular beds and 900 temporary beds available.The Hong Kong Observatory issued a cold weather warning on Friday for the second day in a row, with the city seeing lows of around 12 degrees. The Centre for Health Protection warned that the cold weather could easily trigger or exacerbate illnesses, especially among the elderly and those with heart disease, respiratory problems or other chronic illnesses."Elderly people have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm and their body temperature control mechanism may be weaker. Their body may not be able to appropriately respond to the cold weather," a spokesman for the CHP said in a statement.As well as wearing warmer clothes, the spokesman advised elderly people and those with illnesses to make sure they eat enough food, get regular exercise and avoid drinking alcohol."Drinking alcohol cannot keep you warm. Alcohol accelerates the loss of body heat through dilated blood vessels, resulting in chilling instead," he said.
2019-12-06 12:28:50 (1)
Health officials said on Friday that the city's accident and emergency departments were overflowing with patients, as the city sees its lowest temperatures of the winter so far. The average occupancy rates for inpatient beds at 16 public hospitals was 103 percent in the early hours of the morning.There were more patients than beds at 11 of the hospitals, with the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po the most overcrowded, with an occupancy rate of 121 percent. Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei and Yuen Long's Pok Oi Hospital were not far behind when it came to overcapacity, with these hospitals seeing a similar situation throughout the week.Last week, the Hospital Authority said it was stepping up its services as the winter flu season closes in, with 500 new regular beds and 900 temporary beds available.The Hong Kong Observatory issued a cold weather warning on Friday for the second day in a row, with the city seeing lows of around 12 degrees. The Centre for Health Protection warned that the cold weather could easily trigger or exacerbate illnesses, especially among the elderly and those with heart disease, respiratory problems or other chronic illnesses."Elderly people have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm and their body temperature control mechanism may be weaker. Their body may not be able to appropriately respond to the cold weather," a spokesman for the CHP said in a statement.As well as wearing warmer clothes, the spokesman advised elderly people and those with illnesses to make sure they eat enough food, get regular exercise and avoid drinking alcohol."Drinking alcohol cannot keep you warm. Alcohol accelerates the loss of body heat through dilated blood vessels, resulting in chilling instead," he said.
2019-12-06 12:28:50 (1)