The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

 

     The spokesman for Ruttonjee Hospital (RH) announced a sentinel event today (April 17):

      

     A 84-year-old male patient was admitted to the Medical and Geriatric ward of RH on April 9, 2022 due to shortness of breath and bone pain. The patient was subsequently diagnosed to have metastatic cancer. His condition and emotion were stable upon clinical assessment by healthcare staff.

      

     During the ward round at 6.30am today, the patient was found resting in bed without any abnormality. At around 7am, the patient’s head was found covered by a plastic bag. Healthcare staff removed the plastic bag immediately and performed resuscitation. The relatives were notified accordingly. The patient was certified dead at 7.20am after resuscitation. RH reported to police for further investigation. 

      

     The hospital is deeply saddened by the incident and expressed deep condolences to relatives. It will provide necessary assistance to the family and fully cooperate with the Police in the investigation. 

      

     The hospital is very concerned about the incident and has reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System. A root cause analysis investigation will be conducted to look into the incident. The incident will be reported to the Coroner.