The EMSD has long been at the forefront of medical engineering, providing professional and reliable electrical and mechanical (E&M) support for all public healthcare facilities in Hong Kong. At the end of last year, the EMSD formed the first Hong Kong representative team to participate in a premier clinical engineering (CE) event of Chinese Mainland (Mainland) — the 16th Best CE Award Competition. On the strength of its brilliant performance, the team was honoured with the National Top Ten Tertiary Hospital Team Award, while Mr Tse Lok-him, then Chief Engineer/Health Sector 1, was awarded the title of National Top Ten Clinical Engineer (Management).
First held in 2010, the Best CE Award Competition is one of the most influential contests in the field of clinical engineering and medical equipment management in the Mainland. Unlike other participating teams representing individual hospitals, the EMSD competed as a government department. The EMSD team is responsible for managing facilities of more than 40 public hospitals and over 100 clinics across Hong Kong, with a wide scope of maintenance services covering electrical, mechanical, air-conditioning, building services, electronic systems and various kinds of advanced medical equipment.
Demonstrating Effective Management and Response Capabilities
At the finals last October, the EMSD team showcased how its “comprehensive medical equipment lifecycle management approach” effectively managed the extensive inventory of equipment in public hospitals and clinics, encompassing the entire process from procurement, installation, maintenance to decommissioning. Notably, the team developed an in-house Biomedical Engineering Services e-form platform, which enables maintenance staff to handle repair tasks anytime via mobile devices, realising workflow digitalisation.
In addition to daily equipment management, the EMSD team also demonstrated outstanding response capabilities. The team presented to the adjudicators a number of contingency initiatives implemented during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, such as the self-developed Mobile Modular High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter Units, which enabled the rapid conversion of general wards into isolation wards to strengthen infection control; and the integrated Fridge Monitoring System (iFMS), which allowed for remote monitoring of medical fridges at community vaccination centres across Hong Kong, ensuring safe storage of vaccines.
People-oriented Strategies for Collaborative Synergy
In the Individual Management category, Mr Tse Lok-him shared his management experience. He attached importance to close communication with the Hospital Authority to devise solutions tailored to the practical needs of clinical operations, while flexibly allocating resources to meet public health challenges. In addition to fulfilling departmental duties, he has actively engaged in public affairs and professional services, contributing to the advancement of the engineering industry.
These outstanding achievements are a strong testament to the professional calibre of the EMSD team. During the competition, the team had the opportunity to exchange insights and compete with clinical engineering elites from the Mainland, establishing long-term communication channels. Through mutual interactions, the team also deepened its understanding of the technical features and maintenance practices of Mainland equipment, with plans to integrate this knowledge into internal training programmes. This will better prepare the EMSD for wider adoption of medical equipment made in China within Hong Kong’s healthcare system in the future, thereby further enhancing the quality of local healthcare services.