Beijing questions private hospitals’ Covid role

The state leader in charge of Hong Kong’s affairs was on Sunday quoted as questioning why private hospitals in the city aren’t helping to treat Covid patients as he pledged the central government will step up support to the SAR to stablise the epidemic.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng is reported to have told the Hong Kong delegates to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) that Beijing fully supports the SAR government’s anti-epidemic work and will respond to whatever requests it has.

After the meeting in the capital, a local deputy to the CPPCC, Thomas So, said the state leader was particularly concerned about the situation facing the elderly and children, describing it as crucial to reduce the fatality rate and serious cases.

Another deputy, Jeffrey Lam from the Business and Professionals Alliance (BPA), said they discussed how private hospitals should play a role in fighting the coronavirus.

“At the moment, Hong Kong medical facilities are overwhelmed. So no matter [whether] they are public or private, hospitals should keep in mind to save lives. This was the consensus,” Lam told reporters in an online press conference.

David Lie, also from the BPA, said Han pointed out that all lives are important and questioned why private hospitals were choosing who to treat.

Han was also quoted as saying that he hopes CPPCC members will fully support the SAR government to govern in accordance with the law, fight the virus and integrate with the mainland’s development.