Robot family plays effective role in sustainable development
The development of smart hospitals is one of the key sustainable development strategies of the Hospital Authority. Last year, robots were introduced into various hospitals. They reduced the trivial workloads of the hospital staff and hence reserved manpower to take care of patient, raising both the quantity and quality of clinical services. HASLink has visited Tin Shui Wai Hospital (TSWH), Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) and Shatin Hospital (SH), to understand how the robots contribute to greater efficiency of hospital services.
The Five Stars Rangers stationing @TSWH
As one of the piloting hospitals in the smart hospital project, TSWH has taken the lead in adopting robots to share different aspects of hospital administrative and supporting works since last October. Agnes Wong, Deputy General Manager (Administrative Services) at TSWH says that the six ‘new colleagues’ are members of the first robot team that work in a public hospital. For the ease of identification, the robots were dedicatedly named and dressed up in ‘working clothes’. For example, the security robot is called Optimus, the janitor robot is called Maria, the porter robot is called Harry and Popeye, the multifunctional housekeeper robot is called WeBot 2 and the navigator robot is called WeBot 1.
She adds, “with the ‘new colleagues’ joining us, we can reduce repetitive works and thus spare manpower to handle the key areas such as increasing the frequency of cleaning washrooms. The robots can also lessen the trivial workloads in a ward, allowing the medical staff to focus on patient care. We will actively explore the system integration between robots, and wish to share our experience with other hospitals in the future.”
She adds, “with the ‘new colleagues’ joining us, we can reduce repetitive works and thus spare manpower to handle the key areas such as increasing the frequency of cleaning washrooms. The robots can also lessen the trivial workloads in a ward, allowing the medical staff to focus on patient care. We will actively explore the system integration between robots, and wish to share our experience with other hospitals in the future.”
The Navigator, WeBot 1
Function: Provide facilities information and navigation service at the lobby, guide the public to the Accident and Emergency Department, Radiology Department, lift lobby and convenience stores ,etc.
Benefit: Provide 24-hour interactive guiding serviceWorkday routine
Benefit: Provide 24-hour interactive guiding serviceWorkday routine
The Janitor, Maria
Function: Perform daily cleaning work at the waiting area of specialist outpatient clinics, lift lobby and corridors on floors
Benefit: The floor cleaning wastewater is reusable after being treated by the built-in filter, thereby reducing the monthly water consumption for cleaning the above areas from 1,800 liters to 750 litersWorkday routine
Benefit: The floor cleaning wastewater is reusable after being treated by the built-in filter, thereby reducing the monthly water consumption for cleaning the above areas from 1,800 liters to 750 litersWorkday routine
The Security, Optimus
Function: Patrol and disseminate hygiene-related messages at the hospital periphery, including the main entrances, emergency passages and storages etc.
Benefit: Enforce the monitoring of hospital peripheralWorkday routine
Benefit: Enforce the monitoring of hospital peripheralWorkday routine
The Housekeeper, WeBot 2
Function: Deliver small items in the ward (such as soup brought to the patients by family members), patrol and provide information to patients
Benefit: Handle miscellaneous work in wards, releasing the manpower to focus on clinical servicesWorkday routine
Benefit: Handle miscellaneous work in wards, releasing the manpower to focus on clinical servicesWorkday routine
The Porter, Harry and Popeye
Function: Deliver bedding to a designated ward, with a maximum loading of about 450kg. The feasibility of delivering drugs is being studied
Benefit: To release the manpower to extend the service hours of collecting and dispatching uniform counters, and to reduce work injuries and elevator failures previously caused by improper use of the moving containerWorkday routine
Benefit: To release the manpower to extend the service hours of collecting and dispatching uniform counters, and to reduce work injuries and elevator failures previously caused by improper use of the moving containerWorkday routine