Hong Kong truck driver died untreated at hospital on ‘disaster day’, inquest hears
- Wong Yun-chuen, who suffered from liver failure, was not closely watched by hospital staff after being transferred from mainland, court told
A nursing officer at Tuen Mun Hospital told the Coroner’s Court on Tuesday he and his colleagues were unable to closely monitor Wong Yun-chuen’s condition after he was transferred from a medical institution in mainland China on August 18, 2021.
The Hongkonger, 55, who lived in Huizhou in Guangdong province, was admitted to the hospital’s isolation ward at 1.16pm for Covid-19 testing and a preliminary check, but the results were still pending when his elder sister found him cold and lifeless at 7.50pm the same day.
Wong was declared dead at 8.18pm after a failed resuscitation attempt.
Cheung Chun-kwong, the nursing officer responsible for the ward on the day concerned, described it as a “disaster day” and said Wong was sent to the hospital when its manpower was stretched thin by other patients requiring immediate attention.
He said the hospital logged 12 emergency cases between 1.40pm and 7.40pm, with most of the nurses, including those tasked with monitoring other patients, also called away to provide help.