Hospital Authority apologizes for ceiling collapse at hospitals
Top officials of the Hospital Authority on Wednesday apologized to the public for the ceiling collapse at the city’s hospitals, with the latest incident seeing at least five concrete slabs falling from the ceiling and crushing a computer and printer in a consultation room of Kwai Chung Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday.
The chief executive of Kwai Chung Hospital Desmond Nguyen Gia-hung, told reporters this afternoon that the incident happened at a pediatric and teen psychiatric ward in Kwai Chung Hospital, with no patients present inside the ward when the concrete slabs fell.
Nguyen said the largest concrete slab measured about 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters, affecting an area of approximately 1.5 square meters.
The hospital sealed off the ward after the incident and relocated 15 patients staying in nearby wards.
“Follow-up inspections have found loose concrete in wards next to the one in question,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Hospital Authority Tony Ko Pat-sing, said the Authority is concerned with their contractor’s performance regarding maintenance work, and will not rule out further action to hold the contractor accountable.
It is understood that Kwai Chung Hospital’s building inspection contractor - Fujitac Construction & Engineering Consultants Ltd - is the same contracted to Castle Peak Hospital, which saw a chunk of concrete land on a vacant bed in November last year.