Jat Sew-tong: Free up manpower and hospital space with new technology

Senior Counsel Jat Sew-tong grew up in Cheung Chau and has vivid early memories of hospital. “I remember going to St. John Hospital when I was a child, and having to wait for a long time while feeling very unwell. I remember that the doctors and nurses were quite mean then,” says Jat. The barrister, who joined the Hospital Authority (HA) Board this year, believes public hospital services are much better now than they were in the past and the experience of users should continue to be improved in the future. “Users include patients, carers, and healthcare colleagues. It is important to uphold the core value of being people-centred and to think from their perspective: How can we make the whole process more comfortable? How can we reduce the pressure on our colleagues? These are the issues I am concerned about,” he explains.

Having worked in a variety of public offices, Jat understands change is never easy. “Large-scale organisations are like aircraft carriers – not easy to make sharp turns,” he says. In the face of increasing demand for healthcare services and manpower constraints, he believes new technologies can help better allocate resources to save manpower and hospital space. “Many follow-up cases in the hospitals are routine and regular, and the use of technology can help streamline the process and free up manpower,” he says. The introduction of AI technology to screen X-rays, for instance, can identify abnormal cases faster than traditional methods, improving efficiency by allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on diagnosis and surgery.

“In addition, as big data foretells the trend of patients suffering from chronic diseases, we can put in more resources to develop ambulatory care services to deal with more stable chronic disease cases, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, speed up bed turnover, and free up manpower and resources to focus on handling serious cases,” he says.

Jat believes external assistance can help with the sustainable development of healthcare services. “The recruitment of healthcare professionals from overseas and the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programmes are a good start and are worth continuing to recruit more qualified healthcare professionals to share the workload,” he observes.

During the epidemic, Jat found himself stranded in the UK for several months because of quarantine restrictions. “It was really unexpected,” he says. “I had to borrow a wig and gown to conduct remote hearings, and when the court was in session at 10am in Hong Kong, it was 3am in the UK, which was an interesting experience.” COVID-19 also made him realise how fleeting life is and made him determined to spend more time with his family, he reflects.

Outside his work as a barrister, Jat relaxes with classical music. “I started learning the cello in secondary school, and I love listening to Johann Sebastian Bach and Gustav Mahler. Music is transcendental, and in music you can refresh yourself and start again.”

Profile of Jat Sew-tong

• Senior Counsel
• Member of the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service
• Member of the Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
• Member of the Disciplinary Chair Committee of the Securities and Futures Commission
• Vice-Chairman of Hong Kong Sinfonietta
• Motto: To serve and to lead