Wong Tai Sin Hospital Clarifies Glove Policy Amid Flu Outbreak
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Kowloon Central Hospital Network under the Hospital Authority has clarified that it has not banned healthcare workers at Wong Tai Sin Hospital from using gloves, amid reports of a flu outbreak at the facility. The network stated that staff should conduct risk assessments based on clinical situations and select appropriate personal protective equipment. Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, stressed that proper hand hygiene is more effective than glove use in preventing viral spread. The hospital has reportedly posted notices advising staff against "abusing" gloves, triggering discussion about infection control practices.
Key Points
- The Kowloon Central Hospital Network stated it has not prohibited glove use; healthcare workers should assess clinical risks and wear appropriate PPE when exposed to blood, bodily fluids, secretions, wounds, or contaminated materials
- The hospital posted a notice listing 8 situations where gloves are unnecessary: measuring blood pressure or temperature, dispensing medication, serving or collecting meals, patient contact, changing bed linens, transporting patients, using phones or computers, and preparing injections
- Professor Hui warned that using the same pair of gloves across multiple patients and surfaces actually facilitates virus transmission, as gloves can harbor pathogens
- Each hospital bed is equipped with alcohol sanitizer at the foot; healthcare workers should disinfect hands between patient contacts
- The current flu peak season has seen internal medicine wards, which typically accommodate around 6 patients per ward, experience outbreaks when even one patient forgoes wearing a mask
Why It Matters
The controversy highlights the balance between resource conservation and infection control in Hong Kong's public hospitals during peak flu season, with experts urging the public to wear surgical masks and practice diligent hand hygiene as frontline defenses against viral transmission .
The controversy highlights the balance between resource conservation and infection control in Hong Kong's public hospitals during peak flu season, with experts urging the public to wear surgical masks and practice diligent hand hygiene as frontline defenses against viral transmission .