Hong Kong hospital authorities have told a contactor to publicly apologise and cover all losses and expenses incurred as a result of an operating theatre surgical light crashing down and injuring a medical worker in February.
The Hospital Authority on Tuesday said the company – medical technology firm Getinge – had stoked serious safety concerns by performing “below the standard” of its contract requirements, so disciplinary action had to be taken.
Getinge will also be suspended from tendering until next September. The Post has contacted the Swedish-based firm for comment.
No patients were in the operating theatre in United Christian Hospital when the surgical light crashed down on February 18, though one anaesthetic assistant was struck and left with a shoulder injury.
Metal fatigue found on broken screws of surgical light that fell in Hong Kong
Metal fatigue found on broken screws of surgical light that fell in Hong Kong
The incident triggered a citywide inspection of 471 surgical lights used in public hospitals.
Following an investigation, health officials concluded that broken screws with signs of metal fatigue had been the cause of the incident and that checks conducted earlier would have prevented it.
Meanwhile, the citywide inspection found 23 lights installed by Getinge contained “potential risks”, with the company ordered to either repair or replace them.
On Tuesday, the authority’s board endorsed three actions against Getinge including requiring the contractor to make a public apology.
Hong Kong hospitals asked to check ceiling hoists in second equipment mishap
Hong Kong hospitals asked to check ceiling hoists in second equipment mishap
The firm also has to compensate the authority for all losses and expenses incurred from the incident, and has been excluded from tendering and quotation exercises for all ceiling-mount medical equipment at public hospitals since September.
The ban from tendering will continue for a year until September 2024, and will only be lifted if Getinge’s “service performance and quality are reviewed” and is “proved capable to meet the requirements”.
“This also serves as an unequivocal message that the HA [Hospital Authority] has zero tolerance for any substandard service quality level,” a spokesman added on Tuesday.
The authority will also enhance existing tendering and quotation exercises by introducing a new marking scheme to strengthen its governance over contractors’ performance and to ensure quality.
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority reveals concrete slab fell onto patient bed
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority reveals concrete slab fell onto patient bed
A panel of experts also provided a list of suggestions in June following a three-month inquiry including doubling the number of specialised engineers to supervise work on medical equipment by contractors.
The panel also suggested that the authority conduct its own maintenance and repair on facilities instead of relying solely on contractors without supervision by biomedical engineers.
The authority also said on Tuesday it would look more carefully into the past performance of bidders in its tendering exercises.