New Hong Kong Hospital Authority chief pledges to cut waiting times, queues
Libby Lee wants to use tech to streamline processes while fostering culture of ‘warmth’ and ‘speaking up’
The new head of Hong Kong’s public hospitals has pledged to slash waiting times and queues for patients while considering extending the operating hours of general outpatient clinics.
Libby Lee Ha-yun, who took over on Friday as the new chief executive of the Hospital Authority, also said she hoped to deliver medical services with “warmth” during her three-year term.
“In the past few years, we have seen a certain level of fatigue over hospitals’ waiting times and medical incidents. In the future, I hope we can dissolve the fatigue with our warmth,” she said.
“We hope that the warmth can bring mutual respect and care for everyone. We hope to design our medical services from the patients’ perspective.”
Lee, 53, said she aimed to use technology to streamline the process of patients queuing at public hospitals.
“For example, when patients visit our specialist outpatient clinics, is it necessary to queue four times respectively for the doctor, medicine, booking the next appointment, and an X-ray scan or a blood test?” she said.