According to HA, at least four of the 18 public hospitals have seen their Accident and Emergency Department services offering a waiting of over eight hours to patients on the first working day after the New Year holiday.

"We have already doubled the number of attendances available a designated clinics and online consultations to 4,000 each day," said Maria Leung Kwan-wa, Chief of Service in the Department of Family Medicine of HA's New Territories East Cluster.

"We are aware that the amount could not meet citizens' demand," she said, "but we need to reserve manpower for specific patient groups, including people with chronic disease, weaker immune systems, women in labour, toddlers, and the elderly aged 70 or above."

"Patients with milder conditions can seek medical attention at general outpatient clinics or from private doctors," she added.