【#公開信轉載】31/1 威爾斯親王醫院 麻醉及深切治療部及手術室前線醫護人員 致香港政府的公開信

Dear Dr Tony Ko and Mr FAN Hung-ling, SBS, JP

An open appeal to the government to stop all visitors from mainland through all border control points

Modern medicine hinges on scientific evidence. When respectable leaders of various fields repeatedly stressed the importance of complete border closure in arresting the spread of the current epidemic, we find it disheartening that sound advice has fallen on deaf ears of the relevant government officials. The public is already panicking because there are not enough surgical masks and alcohol hand rub in the market.

As professionals, we try our best to care for our patients. However, we are concerned that the following will jeopardise quality of care and staff and patient safety.

1. Precarious supply of recommended personal protective equipment in high-risk areas for staff. For example: Level 3 surgical masks
2. Not enough isolation facilities in hospitals, leading to easy cross-infection of patients
3. Stretching an already overloaded health-care system, leading to suboptimal care of patients.
4. TOCC from patients can be unreliable.

We are desperately worried that the public health system will crumble in the face of the current situation, should more drastic measures not be taken soon enough. We therefore hereby make an appeal to the management of Hospital Authority, to reflect to the government our demands, including
1. Banning all visitors from mainland through all border control points. We believe that a precautionary approach is most beneficial to Hong Kong.
2. Ensure adequate supply of personal protective equipment to all frontline healthcare workers.

We sincerely wish that the government will stand with us this time and take our suggestions on board as soon as possible, so that all of us in Hong Kong can truly fight the disease together. With the best interest of Hong Kong at heart, we will not hesitate to do what’s best for everyone in the city we call home.

From a group of doctors and nurses, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive care, Prince of Wales Hospital
Represented by Dr. Yap, Hiu Yi Florence, Consultant ICU

致各醫管局高層，

致香港政府的公開信 要求禁止所有內地旅客通過所有邊境管制站入境

現代醫學的成功發展取決於堅守科學的信念。當各個領域的權威人士反覆強調全面封鎖邊境對遏制當前流行病蔓延的重要性時，我們感到沮喪的是政府官員對此充耳不聞。此外，公眾對於近日市面上外科口罩及各款消毒酒精的供應短缺感到恐懼亦應為政府所關注。

作為專業人員，我們從不放棄盡最大努力在各自的專業領域中照顧所有患者。可惜，基於醫療質素及病人安全的考量，前線醫護的憂慮包括：

1. 員工缺乏合乎世衛組織建議標準及穩定供應的防護裝。例如：第三級別外科口罩；
2. 醫院隔離設施不足，增加病人間交叉感染的風險；
3. 原本已超出負荷的醫療系統再度受壓，危害病人及公眾衛生。
4 病人的旅遊及接觸史(TOCC)可能不可靠。

我們非常擔心若政府不盡快採取更嚴厲的措施，面對當前的局勢，香港公共衛生系統將會崩潰。

因此，我們特此呼籲醫院管理局的管理層向政府反映我們的要求，包括
1.禁止所有內地旅客通過所有邊境管制站入境，以及
2.確保為所有前線醫護人員提供足夠及合乎國際規格的個人防護設備。

我們衷心希望政府這次能與人民站在一起，儘快採納我們的建議，以便所有香港人能夠真正地共同抵抗這疾病。我們承諾會毫不猶豫地為香港—我們的家，同心竭盡所能守護香港人的健康及最大福祉。

一群威爾斯親王醫院麻醉及深切治療部及手術室前線醫護人員
葉曉怡醫生代書