The Hospital Authority today said it is carrying out an inspection of facilities and structures in public hospitals that it expects will be completed within one month.
 
The authority explained that using a risk stratification approach, public hospitals will inspect a number of facilities with higher risks. 

Such facilities include devices suspended at a height of two metres or more; locations with a history of spalling, high-risk areas (such as wards), water seepage locations, areas affected by engineering vibrations, locations showing signs of damage; and hospital exterior walls and elements.
 
The authority appealed to citizens for their understanding that some public hospital buildings have been in use since the early years with exceptionally high utilisation, where some facilities may be in a relatively dilapidated condition.

As such, maintenance staff will arrange inspections and repairs as soon as practicable to ascertain the safety of such structures.
 
If a potential risk is found, the facilities or structures concerned may need to be hacked off or removed to enable further inspections or repairs. Such areas will be cordoned off by maintenance staff.
 
The authority stressed that it will stringently monitor the inspection works and spare no effort to eliminate potential risks.
 
Significant risks which may pose a major threat to patients and staff will be announced in a timely manner to allay public concern, the authority added.