From teething troubles to flying high with medical firsts

In the early 1980s, Queen Mary Hospital was the only teaching hospital for the University of Hong Kong’s School of Medicine. To increase internship opportunities for medical students, the government at one stage planned to turn TMH into a teaching hospital. However, the review in 1983 concluded the hospital would require costly modifications to the original construction plans, so as to accommodate more facilities. This would not only increase the budget, but also delay the hospital’s opening for two years. The plan was finally abandoned.

When approaching the opening of TMH, the healthcare industry was hit by a shortage of medical staff caused by a tide of emigration from Hong Kong, as well as doctors leaning to private sector due to poor working environment in public hospitals. Commencement of TMH may have to be delayed. There were further hiccoughs when the backup power system broke down just a week before the hospital’s scheduled opening on 28 February 1990. The hospital eventually opened on 8 March 1990 when the power systems were fully restored.

The ground floor of Block P at TMH was originally intended to be a stable block for horses. Horse blood is similar to human blood and often used by pathologists for experiments and analysis. TMH, therefore, planned to build a stable block where horse blood could be drawn, but later the government reached an agreement with Hong Kong Jockey Club to supply horse blood. The project never went ahead, so the building was used instead as a storage facility for medical records.

TMH was the first hospital to set up a patient relations office. The office was designed to be a bridge between the hospital and patients, and handle family members’ requests for assistance, feedback on treatment and complaints regarding hospital services. Today, patient relations have become a regular and important feature in public hospitals in Hong Kong.

TMH and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital are the only two public hospitals provided with helipad facilities for helicopter rescue service. The helipad at TMH is located outside the entrance of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, which manages patients brought in by helicopter during daytime. The hospital provides training for clinical staff and supporting staff in the A&E Department, and staff are also required to attend the simulation training arranged by the Government Flying Service.