CE officiates at completion and handover ceremony of Hong Kong temporary hospital construction project supported by Central Government
With the support of the Central Government, construction of the temporary hospital adjacent to AsiaWorld-Expo, now named "North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre", has been successfully completed. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, officiated at the completion and handover ceremony today (January 20).
Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Lam Sai-hung; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; and the Director of Architectural Services, Ms Winnie Ho, together with the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Xingrui; the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Wang Weizhong; the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Huang Liuquan; and the Director of the China State Construction International Holdings, Mr Yan Jianguo, jointly unveiled the plaque for the project.
Mrs Lam said in her speech that the project again conveys the Central Government's support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government's anti-epidemic efforts and its care to Hong Kong citizens. It also gives full play to the deep brotherhood between Guangdong and Hong Kong, as well as that between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In addition, it showcases the determination and collaboration of the project team and staff members that yield enormous outcomes.
"The resources, nucleic acid tests and vaccines as well as the temporary hospital completed today, have all demonstrated the Central Government's care to the SAR. Again, it is proven that the Central Government is forever the strongest backbone of the anti-epidemic work of the SAR. I sincerely thank the support and guidance of the Central Government, the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Wuhan experts. We thank the Shenzhen Municipal Government, different departments and teams for their assistance in the completion of the construction of the temporary hospital. Your hard work and painstaking efforts have rendered Hong Kong great confidence in fighting against the pandemic," Mrs Lam said.
The temporary hospital comprises six ward blocks and a medical centre. There are negative pressure wards, designed with reference to the standards of tier-1 isolation wards, that can accommodate about 820 beds. The HA is striving to put the new hospital into service next month. Together with the community treatment facility expansion completed in early October last year, the Central Government has in total provided an extra 1 800 beds for Hong Kong to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly increasing the resilience of the Hong Kong healthcare system against the pandemic.
Mrs Lam said that with the adoption of modular integrated construction (MiC) technology, the construction of the temporary hospital was completed in just four months. The use of MiC technology not only enhanced the efficiency and uplifted the quality of the project but also achieved a very high safety standard, providing a valuable reference for the future construction of healthcare facilities in Hong Kong.
She said that under the new wave of the epidemic that began in Hong Kong in November last year, although the number of COVID-19 infected patients that are hospitalised has now dropped to 600-plus, the challenges of anti-epidemic work are still arduous and the Government and the HA will stay vigilant. The Government is actively engaged in the assessment and approval of vaccinations, and the planning of a mega-vaccination scheme, striving to allow citizens to receive vaccinations once available.
Ends/Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:48
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