Latest news with #PrincessMargaretHospital
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong public hospitals to step up testing for rare rotavirus: disease expert
Hong Kong public hospitals will step up surveillance of a rare virus and test patients with severe diarrhoea, infectious diseases expert Yuen Kwok-yung has said, after it was found in a doctor who died shortly after feeling unwell. The University of Hong Kong's chair of infectious diseases on Monday revealed the latest move following the release of findings on the death of a doctor initially thought to be linked with a group of oncologists suspected of being infected with a toxic strain of E coli. The Centre for Health Protection confirmed last Friday that there had in fact been no E coli outbreak in the oncology department of Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, where the three doctors worked. But group C rotavirus, which was known but rare, was found in various tissue samples of the doctor who died just three days after he developed diarrhoea in February 'We need to continue to monitor whether a similar situation will happen,' Yuen, who led a team of experts assisting the investigation, told a radio programme. 'In the future, the Hospital Authority will test for this virus on patients with severe diarrhoea, especially those requiring treatment at intensive care units. If other diarrhoea-causing viruses cannot be found, we will test for group C rotavirus.'
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong student with TB forced into medical isolation after declining treatment
Hong Kong health authorities have issued an isolation order for an 18-year-old student diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and arranged screening for his teachers and classmates after he was discharged from hospital against medical advice earlier. Advertisement The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday it had been following up on the case of male secondary school student who was admitted to hospital on May 14 due to shortness of breath, persistent cough, blood in his sputum, fever and weight loss. He was confirmed to have TB. Authorities said the patient, who had not received the Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine as recommended by the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, was discharged against medical advice on May 25. He was referred to the Chest Clinic for follow-up as he needed to continue directly observed treatment, but he received insufficient treatment and did not attend the other appointments as scheduled. Despite repeated reminders from clinic medical staff, he finally received a short course of anti-TB treatment. Undergoing only brief treatment can worsen the infection and increase the risk of transmission, posing a public health threat, according to authorities. Treating the contagious disease usually takes at least six months, according to the Department of Health. Advertisement 'Given the above, the [centre] issued an isolation order today [Friday] and the patient was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment,' it said.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
3 gastroenteritis cases at Hong Kong hospital unrelated, investigation finds
A trio of suspected gastroenteritis cases at a Hong Kong hospital earlier this year, in which the death of a young doctor prompted concerns of an outbreak of a highly toxic strain of E coli, were unrelated, health authorities have found. The Centre for Health Protection also said in revealing the outcome of its investigation on Friday that the young oncologist who died had traces of a certain kind of rotavirus, rather than the previously thought Shiga toxin-producing E coli (STEC), but that his cause of death was 'uncertain'. An expert from the investigating team suggested it was the first time that a particular strain of the rotavirus had been detected in Hong Kong, but there was no evidence of a community outbreak. The death of the young doctor at Princess Margaret Hospital in February prompted concerns that an outbreak of the toxic strain had emerged after it was found in the stool sample of one of the doctors who suffered milder symptoms. 'Based on the available information, the [centre] confirmed that there was no STEC outbreak in the oncology department of [the hospital] and that there was no linkage between the illnesses of the three doctors,' it said. The investigation, which included an expert team from the department of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), found that a stool sample of the doctor who was suspected of having a STEC infection did not grow 'viable' bacteria of the infectious strain.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
3-vehicle collision on Hong Kong highway injures 9, causes traffic jam
A taxi, a school bus and a minibus have collided on a Hong Kong highway near Kwai Chung, injuring nine passengers and causing traffic congestion. Police said on Thursday that the passengers, all were in the minibus, sustained slight injuries and were sent to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment. The force said that it received a report of the traffic accident on Tsuen Wan Road (Kowloon bound), near Kwai Chung Park, at around 8.14am. Part of the lanes of the highway were temporarily closed off, causing traffic congestion and bus service delays, according to the Transport Department and franchised bus firm KMB. The buses gradually resumed services as of 10.50am, the department said. Police are currently investigating the accident.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong investigates suspected Covid-19 contamination of swabs in 5 hospitals
Hong Kong's Hospital Authority has identified suspected contamination of Covid-19 in a batch of flocked swabs used in five public hospitals, with two patients found to have shown false positive results. Advertisement The authority said on Saturday that a laboratory at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung detected weak positive results for Covid-19 in some of the flocked swab samples after routine tests were conducted on a batch of specimen collection kits. Following the discovery, authorities took immediate action, including suspending all flocked swabs from the supplier, enhancing the testing of specimen collection kits delivered in January, and reviewing test results of patients who had used affected swabs. 'The Hospital Authority is following up on this event stringently and has notified the Department of Health,' an authority spokesman said. 'We have demanded that the supplier of the flocked swabs concerned thoroughly investigate its quality control and testing records, provide an explanation, and implement remedial measures. Advertisement 'The Hospital Authority does not rule out taking further action to hold the supplier accountable.' The flocked swabs were procured from a local supplier and delivered to the public hospitals of Kowloon West, including Caritas Medical Centre, Kwai Chung Hospital, North Lantau Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital, between January and the end of April.
