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Anti-epidemic for one year|After 5 years of suffering, the patient organization will change into indefinite period: not urgent but not important

2021-01-25T00:13:35.877Z


The non-emergency services of the Hospital Authority suffered severe setbacks in the past year due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic. "Hong Kong 01" found that the waiting time for appointments for surgery for total joint replacement (replenishing) due to geriatric diseases has generally increased.


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Author: Zhu Haiqi

2021-01-25 08:00

Last update date: 2021-01-25 08:00

The non-emergency services of the Hospital Authority suffered severe setbacks in the past year due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic.

"Hong Kong 01" found that the waiting time for appointments for total joint replacement (replacement) for geriatric diseases has generally increased. A doctor in a public hospital revealed that a male patient who had to change his hip had been waiting for 5 years. Surgery was performed every month. Unexpectedly, the epidemic hit, and no new surgery schedule was arranged at the end of the same year.

The Hospital Authority admitted that it was unable to catch up and frankly said that it would be difficult to refer to private hospitals for the replacement surgery, and that the medical nurses have worked overtime to catch up the service volume.

Patient organizations criticized that the Hospital Authority itself would have to wait five years for patients to be unacceptable. Under the epidemic, the operation would be indefinitely unconvincing. Worries would affect the daily life of patients, and even form negative emotions leading to depression. "It doesn't mean it's important."

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The number of patients waiting to be replaced has increased by half

In the four waves of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the HA has cut non-emergency services. "Hong Kong 01" compares the data from July 2019 to June 2020 and October 2019 to September 2020. It is found that there will be a waiting time for the replacement. The number of cases reached 29,197, 5.5% more than the previous period. However, the number of completed operations did not increase according to the increase in patients. Instead, it fell by 10.1%. There were only 3,046 cases. The waiting time for patients in the five clusters increased.

The patient was originally scheduled to change in March last year to receive bad news

An orthopedic surgeon at a public hospital who did not want to be named revealed that a male patient on the Kowloon West Network had been waiting for the replacement of his right hip joint for 5 years. He was originally scheduled to undergo surgery in March last year, but the epidemic hit the HA drastically reduced non-emergency services. "It’s too late, I have nothing to do. I postponed it all the way. I didn’t go to the hospital’s policy. I didn’t do non-emergency surgery, only emergency fractures. I recently saw a patient at the end of December (last year). I was so happy and Frustrated ( Frustrated), he asked when he did it back, but I couldn’t find the answer.” He estimated that the patient’s situation was only the tip of the iceberg. I believe that many non-emergency cases have been delayed and the patients in the hospital have also been delayed. Unable to be referred to the same network hospital for surgery, "(other hospitals) are so long, the queues are up to 5 years, and every hospital has Burden (stress)."

In an interview with "Hong Kong 01", the Director of Network Services of the Hospital Authority, Yang Digang, admitted that it is difficult to recover the service volume of the replacement surgery. The hospital has adopted a "special remuneration scheme" to attract medical staff to work overtime to increase the service volume. "Individual examples are actually my point of view. "Kowloon West (Kowloon West Network) must do its best" and will continue to observe the patient’s condition and prioritize surgery as soon as it deteriorates. However, the epidemic began to rise rapidly in November last year, and the postoperative hospitalization time for the patients was long. "I want to keep (stay) many patients in the inter-hospital first? In the same buried community, there has been more invisible transmission recently." It is necessary to balance the problem of nosocomial infection control.

Yang Digang: The complexity of the pastoral replacement operation cannot be solved with the help of a private doctor

Why not seek assistance from the private market to include the pastoral surgery as a public-private partnership project (PPP)? Yang Digang explained that the pastoral surgery is complicated. “It’s like cutting a cecum, or it’s relatively easy to handle after cutting a large neck bubble. Because (replacement) involves many different specialties. For example, Zhongyou has full-time treatment and needs to slowly return to physical therapy, all kinds of rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and the whole process is important."

Yang Digang pointed out that it is feasible to "cut pieces" of the treatment course. First refer patients to the private market for surgery, and then invite them to public hospitals to follow up the postoperative situation. However, past PPP experience shows that patients would rather be followed up by a team of doctors for a long time. After the operation, the full-time medical team found that there was a problem. If you want to call a doctor, you will have to go to the heel of the hand. The operation team also includes an anesthesiologist. Complications have to rely on the support of the intensive care department. Teamwork is required, and the complexity is high. Don’t get a private doctor’s help to solve it quickly.” The patient receives the entire course of treatment in the HA, and the effect and efficiency will be better. However, the authorities will continue to explore whether this is the case.

Peng Hongchang: The elderly are psychologically troubled under the epidemic

Peng Hongchang, director of the Community Organization Association, who is concerned about the rights and interests of patients, criticized that before the epidemic, the Hospital Authority asked patients to wait for 5 years before undergoing surgery, which is already very unsatisfactory. Under the epidemic, the patient's surgery schedule will be cancelled for more than half a year, making the road to recovery for patients even more remote Lifetime is unacceptable, "It doesn't mean it's urgent, it doesn't mean it's important."

He pointed out that the patients who were about to change had limited mobility, and some of them might have to use crutches to relieve the pain of their feet, or even use a wheelchair. It is extremely inconvenient to get in and out, which further affects their mental health. "(Originally) It was easy to walk, wait 5 It’s hard to change every few years, and the epidemic has dragged on again. It is psychologically troubled. I have seen elderly people who were already active but reduced their activities and social interactions. Some people have become more depressed,” and urged the authorities to seriously consider launching PPP. Protect the well-being of patients.

A number of non-emergency services were cancelled by public hospitals. Peng Hongchang criticized "it is not urgent, it does not mean it is not important."

(Profile picture/Photo by Li Suntong)

Ling Jiajian, assistant professor of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, CUHK Medical School, explained that older people who have suffered meniscus and ligament injuries have a higher risk of joint degeneration. The patient’s cartilage has been abraded, bone spurs proliferated, and soft tissue inflammation will cause the patient to walk. Sometimes I have the pain of "bone hitting the bone", and I need to undergo a replacement surgery, mainly for the knee joint, and then for the hip joint. I have to stay in the hospital for 4 to 5 days after the operation, and then receive several months of physical therapy.

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Hospital Authority

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-01-25

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