Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today visited Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital to get an update on the service of public hospitals. He toured the hospital’s specialist outpatient clinic, medical ward, accident and emergency department and hyperbaric oxygen therapy centre, followed by a meeting with its management and frontline healthcare staff to learn about the service demands and manpower deployment. Prof Lo said: "Having gone through the anti-epidemic work in the past three years, Hong Kong is on the road to full normalcy. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all healthcare staff for their efforts in performing duties and working tirelessly amidst immense work pressure to safeguard the city's healthcare system.” Noting that Hong Kong will see a sharp rise in the number of travellers with the full resumption of normal travel with the Mainland, Prof Lo said the Government will closely monitor the development of the CO
The Hospital Authority said it was notified by a COVID-19 test service vendor that some of the test procedures were lengthened due to environmental contamination and subsequent thorough disinfection required in the laboratory.
The authority explained that some of the tests and notification of negative results cannot be completed within 48 hours as the contract terms required.
The test service vendor was contracted by the authority to arrange COVID-19 testing to tie in with the Centre for Health Protection's Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme.
The authority has reported the incident to the Food & Health Bureau and the Department of Health (DH). Starting from today, some of the backlog specimens will be arranged for testing in the DH’s Public Health Laboratory Centre and at three other vendors.
According to the vendor’s report, it has completed the test for all specimens received on or before March 2 and most of March 3. It is expected that the tests for the rest of March 3 and March 4, around 20,000 specimens, will be completed today.
The Public Health Laboratory Centre and the three vendors will continue to render assistance and it is expected that the tests for the rest of specimens will be completed in the coming days.
The authority has tasked the vendor to review its testing procedures and enhance contingency. It said it will seriously follow up the incident with the vendor in accordance with the contract terms to avoid the occurrence of similar incidents.
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