Kai Tak Hospital to begin phased opening in Hong Kong

Kai Tak Hospital, Hong Kong’s largest public hospital, will begin its first phase of operation on Monday after more than a decade of planning and construction, according to the South China Morning Post. Built on the former airport’s south apron, the hospital has about 500,000 square metres of floor space and 2,400 beds. Its facilities include 37 operating theatres, a helipad and a 24-hour accident and emergency department, although the emergency service will not open until 2028.

The first service to open will be a family medicine integrated centre. It will initially provide about 250 consultation places each day for patients with stable chronic conditions and people with relatively mild illnesses, including influenza and gastroenteritis. The centre will also provide nursing services such as injections and wound dressing.

Patients can book appointments through the Hospital Authority’s HA Go app or by telephone. Specialist outpatient services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, including medicine, surgery, neurosurgery and clinical oncology, will move to Kai Tak in stages from late October. Allied health, radiology, pathology, pharmacy and selected day services will also be introduced during October.

Major clinical services, including inpatient treatment and surgery, are due to begin in 2028. At that point, Kai Tak’s accident and emergency department is expected to be three times the size of Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s department. The new hospital is expected to serve more than 1.8 million residents in four districts.

Its opening will allow the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site in Jordan to be redeveloped as an integrated ambulatory care hospital, while Kai Tak will also serve as an interim teaching hospital for a planned third medical school.