The Hospital Authority today said it has asked all hospital clusters to inspect ceiling hoist tracks similar to the one involved in the incident in Tuen Mun Hospital where an external cover of a ceiling hoist track for lifting patients fell off.

It pointed out that the ceiling hoist concerned was suspended from use immediately after the incident yesterday.

The hospital has also arranged for the maintenance vendor to carry out repairs. No patients nor staff were injured in the incident and clinical services were not affected.

The main function of the ceiling hoist system is to assist patients with limited mobility to move around in the ward, thus reducing the lifting work of medical staff.

The ceiling hoist involved was provided by the manufacturer Arjo, while its maintenance was under General Electric.

The maintenance vendor reported no abnormalities during the latest inspection in August 2022. The system will be load tested once a year to confirm its safety and compliance with the relevant license requirements.

There are about 1,130 sets of different models of ceiling hoist systems for lifting patients in public hospitals. No other abnormal reports have been received.

The authority has reminded staff to pay special attention to the system’s safety and the surrounding environment before operating the ceiling hoist.

Apart from urging the maintenance vendor to conduct a detailed investigation immediately and submit a report on the incident, the authority also asked the vendor to follow up seriously to prevent similar incidents from happening again.