Kai Tak Hospital in Hong Kong began its initial phase of operations on October 5, opening its family medicine integrated centre to patients. The centre, designed to serve individuals with stable chronic conditions and mild acute illnesses, saw approximately 350 patients on its first day, with daily visits expected to increase to 1,800 by the end of the year.
Located in the former Kai Tak Airport area, the hospital is poised to become the city’s largest public healthcare facility once fully operational. Patients started arriving at the specialist outpatient clinic from 8:30 a.m., with all consultation slots fully booked by 11 a.m. Volunteers were positioned throughout the hospital premises to assist with patient navigation.
Chief Executive Dr. Eric Cheung Fuk-chi described the initial operations as running “smoothly,” though he noted that some patients mistakenly came for blood tests, indicating a need for clearer communication. Dr. Cheung also emphasized the gradual relocation of services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, calling it the largest hospital relocation project in Hong Kong’s history, to be executed in staged phases.
Further services are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. Specialist outpatient services will launch on October 26, allowing treatment for neurosurgery and certain oncology cases, with daily patient visits expected to reach about 500. On November 12, the hospital’s largest specialty, the department of medicine, will start operations, after which daily patient numbers are projected to rise to 1,800.
Patient feedback highlighted the spacious, well-lit environment and courteous staff. Hossain Chowdhury Shamimara, a housewife in her fifties who transferred from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, praised the facility’s openness and efficient service. However, she noted transportation challenges, particularly the limited bus frequency, which resulted in a longer wait on her return trip.
Kai Tak Hospital is currently served by 10 franchised bus routes and six green minibus lines connecting various districts of Kowloon. The nearby Kai Tak MTR station provides access, with new road signage directing passengers to a bus interchange outside the Airside shopping centre. The connecting bus journey from Airside to the hospital takes approximately 12 minutes.
Some lawmakers have raised concerns over public awareness and transport accessibility. Lawmaker Kitson Yang Wing-kit called for improved information dissemination regarding travel options and urged authorities to increase the frequency of buses and minibuses to reduce waiting times to no more than 10 to 15 minutes.
In response, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau, who visited the hospital on opening day, acknowledged patients’ adjustment period to the new location and transit routes. Lo described his own commute from Admiralty MTR station to Kai Tak via train and bus as “convenient.” He reiterated the government’s phased approach to rolling out services, starting with lower-risk functions and using the family medicine clinic opening as a soft launch. He also noted that testing hospital equipment through actual patient use is an essential part of this process.