情繫港怡             

GHKConnect

While the third wave of the pandemic was tapering off during the month, GHK remained alert and tried to streamline the process of our testing service, prepare ourselves in accordance with the latest developments in travel bubbles, and contribute to the city’s effort to identify and break silent virus transmission chains.
 
As demand for COVID-19 testing stabilised, efforts have been made to improve our online system to allow patients to perform pre-registration for the testing service before attending the appointments to help eliminate manual input. Simultaneously, systems and workflows have been coordinated among relevant teams such that these can be activated soonest the health code scheme is implemented. We also participated in the Government’s community testing programme for which our doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and medical and nursing students formed a team to perform specimen swabbing at one of the testing centres. I send my sincere appreciation to our staff who have devoted their own time to serve the community in these challenging moments! Development of the local and global situations tell us that more waves are well possible. Without letting down our guard, we will strike a balance between vigilance and pragmatism so we will continue to provide safe services to those in need in all circumstances. 
 
Through leveraging advancements in technology, we strive to explore innovative delivery of health care. Further to launching teleconsultation via our Gleneagles Virtual Consultation and the DrGo app, we are now moving to put to live our patient app, My Gleneagles SmartHealth! Upon the official launch of this new app on 30 September (today), our patients will be able to enjoy a suite of user-friendly functions to meet their outpatient health care needs. Our frontline colleagues will play a vital role in propagating the app, and I am pleased to see that they are all set to introduce it to our patients and provide on-the-spot assistance to them in using it. The app marks an exciting milestone of GHK’s growth journey, and while most colleagues are also GHK’s patients, I call upon your full support to download it and try it out.  Thank you all for being an ambassador for and user of My Gleneagles SmartHealth. Let’s make it a success together!
 
Coming up in October, we will be welcoming the Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Suite, located at Radiology Department. The new suite is expected to enhance our radiology services on multiple dimensions. Other than serving as backup support for Catheterisation Lab and emergency obstetrics cases, which means safer care for patients, ​the DSA will also allow us to develop vascular on-call services, offer more options for liver cancer patients, and free up the capacity of operating theatres. Separately, to meet the continually rising demand for our cancer services, and raise our capacity to provide safe and quality care for complex cases, we plan to launch the Oncology Ward by the end of this year to provide safe and quality care for cases of different complexity. The new ward will enable GHK to offer all-rounded and efficient support to patients requiring various different treatment protocols.

Development extends to our Gleneagles Medical Clinic (GMC). It has been relocated to a more spacious and convenient location in the heart of Central and will be in service in early October. New specialty services including Ophthalmology and Family Medicine will join the existing general and specialist services, health checks and vaccination programmes. New and additional equipment will also allow the clinic to provide more comprehensive diagnostic services and treatment. The clinic will also be a home for the GHK-HKU Women’s Health Collaborative Service, a collaborative initiative in which GMC offers screening services to patients referred by Queen Mary Hospital’s Colposcopy Clinic and those of the former HKU Lady Helen Woo Women’s Diagnostic and Treatment Centre. With a better location, equipment, environment and a wider service scope, I believe that patients will appreciate the customer-oriented service experience at our new GMC.

The coming quarter will continue to be an eventful one as we work hard to launch various initiatives. We will keep improving our services and investing in new ones and areas which show demand and potential. But it is also important that we assess and plan carefully, especially in the current economic environment. To help GHK grow healthily and sustainably, I call for your support and stay prudent with hospital resources while ensuring that our service quality and patient safety are not compromised.
 
Although our activities may still be restricted by social distancing measures, I hope that you can still spend some quality time with your family and friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival in a joyous and safe manner.

Dirk Schraven
Chief Executive Officer

We can only be sure that patients will be well taken care of if our staff are well-protected. To prepare ourselves for the combat against the upcoming seasonal flu amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Infection Prevention and Control team has produced a promotional video clip and a series of activities to raise staff awareness of the importance of protecting ourselves against flu.

Please act now and click here to register for the 2020-21 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination programme! Registration is closing on 9 October.

Meanwhile, look out for the various promotional activities in the coming weeks!