Hong Kong’s largest hospital, Kai Tak Hospital, to open in October

Hong Kong is set to open its biggest public hospital, Kai Tak Hospital, in October, providing 2,400 beds in a “healthcare hub” with a gross floor area of 500,000 square metres.

Kai Tak Hospital. Photo: GovHK.

During the first phase of opening, Kai Tak Hospital will begin offering specialist outpatient services in departments including medicine, neurosurgery and oncology, according to a government statement published on Friday.

Accident and emergency (A&E) services at the hospital will start in 2028, alongside inpatient and surgical care.

Kai Tak Hospital is set to take over Queen Elizabeth Hospital, currently the largest hospital in the Kowloon Central cluster with 2,018 beds. Services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be gradually relocated to Kai Tak Hospital, while Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be developed for other healthcare services.

Kai Tak Hospital “will serve Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong districts, covering a population of more than 1.8 million,” a Hospital Authority spokesperson said, adding that the hospital would ensure more balanced distribution of healthcare resources.

The Hospital Authority logo. Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.

The new hospital will consist of five towers with 37 operating theatres. It will also be home to a number of specialist centres, including those for oncology and neuroscience.

The opening of Kai Tak Hospital comes 10 years after it was proposed in the government’s policy address in 2016 as part of a blueprint for hospital development.

In May last year, authorities said it would strengthen public transport links to Kai Tak Hospital ahead of its opening. A new bus route – 20X, connecting Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and Tsim Sha Tsui – will come into effect, while two existing bus routes in the area will be extended.

Patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be notified of new appointment details if their treatment is relocated to Kai Tak Hospital, the government said on Friday.