Children in Hospital
Public hospitals in Hong Kong continue to separate children from their parents during admission to hospital despite evidence that this has adverse consequences for families. PCF highlighted the Charter for Children in Hospital, continually lobbying for its full implementation across all public and private hospitals. This became especially relevant in 2022, when parents of Covid- positive children were barred from staying with them after admission to hospital. This practice was in direct violation of the Charter, causing immediate trauma for families and risking serious long – term developmental issues for separated children. We campaigned extremely hard to put an end to this medically unnecessary practice, including through numerous media interviews and articles which appeared in local and international newspapers, radio and television. As a result we succeeded in turning a spotlight on a practice in Hong Kong hospitals that in fact had pre- dated Covid, but which which is now at last officially acknowledged to be unacceptable.
https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/backchat/episode/807910
Covid also prompted PCF to proactively extend essential, tangible support to families with young children who had been sent to the isolation facility at Penny’s Bay on Lantau. Since March 2022 our paediatricians and paediatric nurses have operated a dedicated service which has handled over 1,200 calls from those seeking medical and psychological support during what for many has been an extremely stressful experience.
