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Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 1/4 : HK Hospital Authority not transparent to frontline staff on sufficient supply of personal protective equipment in public hospitals
Editorial note: HA's opaque approach to handling public and frontline staff's concern about the adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) in public hospitals reveals the deterioration of the public health system in Hong Kong. When compared with SARS in 2003, contingency and crisis management in dealing with a sudden large scale outbreak of infectious disease has worsened. Are these symptoms of a weak and failed state as a Bloomberg article pointed out? The muddling of reporting essential PPE supplies provide further insight beyond the tip of the iceberg.
(11 Feb) The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and Hospital Authority (HA) previously repeatedly declared that inventory of N95 masks, protective gowns and other protective equipment were "very sufficient", equivalent to 3 months' supply based on the estimation of peak usage during the 2009 swine flu. Yet the two departments never disclosed any concrete figures of available PPE.
On Feb 8, a day after the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA) halted the strike, Dr Deacons Yeung - Director (Cluster Services) of the HA - suddenly changed his tone during an interview with RTHK radio program, Accountability Saturday. He said that there were only 2.2 million protective gowns and 16 million surgical masks available in public hospitals. The number was estimated to be barely a month's usage. In response to HAEA's demand for regular reports on PPE figures, Yeung replied that daily usage numbers were very “floating figures” and described that disclosure of the stock level was "not really meaningful”.
Source: CitizenNews
#Coronavirus #HospitalAuthority
#PPEStockLevel
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Table below
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/17492
Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 1/4 : HK Hospital Authority not transparent to frontline staff on sufficient supply of personal protective equipment in public hospitals
Editorial note: HA's opaque approach to handling public and frontline staff's concern about the adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) in public hospitals reveals the deterioration of the public health system in Hong Kong. When compared with SARS in 2003, contingency and crisis management in dealing with a sudden large scale outbreak of infectious disease has worsened. Are these symptoms of a weak and failed state as a Bloomberg article pointed out? The muddling of reporting essential PPE supplies provide further insight beyond the tip of the iceberg.
(11 Feb) The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and Hospital Authority (HA) previously repeatedly declared that inventory of N95 masks, protective gowns and other protective equipment were "very sufficient", equivalent to 3 months' supply based on the estimation of peak usage during the 2009 swine flu. Yet the two departments never disclosed any concrete figures of available PPE.
On Feb 8, a day after the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA) halted the strike, Dr Deacons Yeung - Director (Cluster Services) of the HA - suddenly changed his tone during an interview with RTHK radio program, Accountability Saturday. He said that there were only 2.2 million protective gowns and 16 million surgical masks available in public hospitals. The number was estimated to be barely a month's usage. In response to HAEA's demand for regular reports on PPE figures, Yeung replied that daily usage numbers were very “floating figures” and described that disclosure of the stock level was "not really meaningful”.
Source: CitizenNews
#Coronavirus #HospitalAuthority
#PPEStockLevel
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️Table below
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/17492
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The number of surgical masks was reduced more than 50% after 1 day. (Image Souce: CitizenNews)
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Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 2/4
A frontline medical worker indicated that the HA’s HR app had a specific item for dispersal of information regarding the Wuhan pneumonia. Among the information was a document dated 6 Feb (version 2.9) provided by the Chief Infection Control Officer Office. The document listed the HA’s enhanced measures, including a 90-Day Contingency Stock of PPE. The document mentioned daily monitoring of its usage by HE. A list of reserves updated on Jan 27 included goggles/eye shield, face shield, surgical masks, N95 respirators, disposable isolation gowns, disposable examination gloves, and disposable caps were listed on tables.
However, the HA had not informed frontline staff the existence of such document via emails. "A lot of frontline staff are likely unaware of its existence." A medical worker admitted that he would not have known that it could be accessed through the HR App without his colleagues from the Hospital Infection Control Team reminding him. The lack of communication may have to do with the strike by frontline staff. The HA may be purposely deceiving or concealing information from them.
A comparison of PPE stocks between version 2.9 (updated on Jan 27) and 2.3 (Jan 10) showed no change over the 17 days. Previous information indicated an additional 8 confirmed cases between Jan 10 and Jan 17; 110 people were hospitalised as of Jan 27. It can be deduced that a considerable amount of PPE should have been used during this period.
Source: CitizenNews
#Coronavirus #HospitalAuthority
#PPEStockLevel
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Figures below
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/17494
Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 2/4
A frontline medical worker indicated that the HA’s HR app had a specific item for dispersal of information regarding the Wuhan pneumonia. Among the information was a document dated 6 Feb (version 2.9) provided by the Chief Infection Control Officer Office. The document listed the HA’s enhanced measures, including a 90-Day Contingency Stock of PPE. The document mentioned daily monitoring of its usage by HE. A list of reserves updated on Jan 27 included goggles/eye shield, face shield, surgical masks, N95 respirators, disposable isolation gowns, disposable examination gloves, and disposable caps were listed on tables.
However, the HA had not informed frontline staff the existence of such document via emails. "A lot of frontline staff are likely unaware of its existence." A medical worker admitted that he would not have known that it could be accessed through the HR App without his colleagues from the Hospital Infection Control Team reminding him. The lack of communication may have to do with the strike by frontline staff. The HA may be purposely deceiving or concealing information from them.
A comparison of PPE stocks between version 2.9 (updated on Jan 27) and 2.3 (Jan 10) showed no change over the 17 days. Previous information indicated an additional 8 confirmed cases between Jan 10 and Jan 17; 110 people were hospitalised as of Jan 27. It can be deduced that a considerable amount of PPE should have been used during this period.
Source: CitizenNews
#Coronavirus #HospitalAuthority
#PPEStockLevel
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Figures below
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/17494
Telegram
📡Guardians of Hong Kong
A comparison of PPE stocks between version 2.9 and 2.3 showed no change over the 17 days. (Image Souce: CitizenNews)
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Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 3/4: How is it possible that updated figures in the 90-Day Contingency Stock of PPE be exactly the same as a previous version from two weeks ago? Was it because the HA could replace supplies in a timely manner? Or did the HA not disclose the actual figures to their staff? Did the HA truly fail to accurately grasp the latest quantities of PPE?
HA did not reply to HKCNEWS’ enquiry on this matter other than to repeat Dr Deacons Yeung's statement that PPE usage rose significantly after the Lunar New Year due to an increase in infected cases; there were 2.2 million protective gowns and 16 million surgical masks, and that the amount should be sufficient for a month's usage. The HA indicated that it was closely monitoring the stock level of supplies. They immediately raised inventory targets to meet six months' usage when experts warned that the epidemic may last for some time. The HA has been speeding up orders and increased order quantities to replenish and increase its stores.
However, the HA didn’t provide concrete figures of PPE despite three separate requests from HKCNEWS via email since Feb 3. (Note: Chief Executive Carrie Lam has mentioned at numerous press conferences that the HK government had difficulty obtaining masks because of the "global shortage" in supply chains. Other HA and FHB bureaucrats repeatedly dodged questions by LegCo legislators and district councillors regarding the sufficiency of medical supplies at public hospitals.)
Legislative Councillor (Medical) Dr Pierre Chan has requested the HA publish the stock level of surgical masks and N95 respirators at different public hospitals from the beginning of January but has yet to receive a response.
Source: CitizenNews
#PPEStockLevel #HospitalAuthority
#PublicHealthSystem #Coronavirus
Mystery of stock level of PPE in HA 3/4: How is it possible that updated figures in the 90-Day Contingency Stock of PPE be exactly the same as a previous version from two weeks ago? Was it because the HA could replace supplies in a timely manner? Or did the HA not disclose the actual figures to their staff? Did the HA truly fail to accurately grasp the latest quantities of PPE?
HA did not reply to HKCNEWS’ enquiry on this matter other than to repeat Dr Deacons Yeung's statement that PPE usage rose significantly after the Lunar New Year due to an increase in infected cases; there were 2.2 million protective gowns and 16 million surgical masks, and that the amount should be sufficient for a month's usage. The HA indicated that it was closely monitoring the stock level of supplies. They immediately raised inventory targets to meet six months' usage when experts warned that the epidemic may last for some time. The HA has been speeding up orders and increased order quantities to replenish and increase its stores.
However, the HA didn’t provide concrete figures of PPE despite three separate requests from HKCNEWS via email since Feb 3. (Note: Chief Executive Carrie Lam has mentioned at numerous press conferences that the HK government had difficulty obtaining masks because of the "global shortage" in supply chains. Other HA and FHB bureaucrats repeatedly dodged questions by LegCo legislators and district councillors regarding the sufficiency of medical supplies at public hospitals.)
Legislative Councillor (Medical) Dr Pierre Chan has requested the HA publish the stock level of surgical masks and N95 respirators at different public hospitals from the beginning of January but has yet to receive a response.
Source: CitizenNews
#PPEStockLevel #HospitalAuthority
#PublicHealthSystem #Coronavirus