2        Project Description

2.1      Project Components and Layout

2.1.1.1           The project details of the Proposed Helipad are presented in Table 2.1.  The erection of a helipad on the rooftop of the New Block of QMH provides a permanent facility to facilitate helicopter emergency medical services.  GFS’s helicopters can land at QMH directly using the Proposed Helipad and no onward transfer by ambulance will be required. The layout and section view of the Proposed Helipad are shown in Figure 1.1 and Figure 2.1 respectively.

Table 2.1    Summary of Project Description

Project Information	Details
Project Location	Rooftop of New Block at the northern portion of QMH
Helipad Height	17m above the rooftop of New Block (at 299.4 mPD)
Helipad Size	40m in diameter
Major Components of the Project	Helipad Structure, Safety walkway, Access ramp, Staircase

2.2      Need and Benefits for the Project

2.2.1.1           As Hong Kong is experiencing an aging population issue, the need for medical services in an effective and efficient manner will be increasing in future.  At present, public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) provided with helipad facilities are only at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) and Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH).  Emergency patients and casualties are mainly landed at PYNEH as landing at TMH is restricted to day time operation due to safety consideration.  For any patient who requires to be transferred to QMH through air transportation, landings will take place at Wan Chai Heliport for onward transfer of the patient to QMH by ambulance.  The transfer time of a patient from landing at Wan Chai Heliport to QMH by ambulance can be up to 20 minutes, which is too long for critical life-saving.  Therefore, HA has reviewed the current transportation arrangement for life saving service and recognised the need to upgrade the existing Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in Hong Kong, and maintain the speedy transfer of patients to hospital.

2.2.1.2           Given that QMH is a major acute hospital, a Trauma and Transplant Centre, and the only hospital in Hong Kong which is able to handle certain emergency medical cases such as neonatal with major procedure, liver transplant, heart/lung transplant and aortic dissection.  It is of essence for the public to have a helipad in order to enable a point-to-point speedy transfer of patients/ survivors suffering from special cases for appropriate treatment and receipt of donated organs.  The Proposed Helipad at QMH has been the prime consideration in ensuring that the general public can receive the best emergency service as needed.

2.2.1.3           The need and benefits of the Proposed Helipad are presented in Table 2.2 below:

Table 2.2    The need and benefits of the Project

Speedy transfer of patients to QMH	·          allow point-to-point transfer of patients to QMH ·          reduce the chance of delay from traffic congestion during patients transfer by ambulance
Lower Risk of Additional Transfer	·          reduce the risk of deterioration of injury from onward movement by ambulance when crossing road bumps or unpaved roads
Relief Ambulance Resource	·          reduce the need of patients transfer from Wan Chai Heliport to QMH by ambulance
Location Advantage	·          an ideal drop-off point for injured survivors/ patients travelling from South and South-west of Hong Kong
Weather Alternative	·          provide alternative landing location during poor visibility period at East of Hong Kong in spring season
Allow Multiple Casualties Transfer	·          will be operated in parallel with PYNEH for multiple casualties transfer
Environmental Benefits	·          no additional foundation work for a rooftop helipad is required ·          offer a longer separation distance from Proposed Helipad to NSRs compared with the helicopter operations in PYNEH ·          reduce number of helicopter landings in PYNEH
Uniqueness of QMH	·          one of the five major trauma centres in Hong Kong ·          provide organ transplantation, neurosurgery, intensive care and paediatric surgical services.  Medical services such as neonatal with major procedure, liver transplant, heart/ lung transplant and aortic dissection is only available in QMH

2.3      Project Programme

2.3.1.1           The tentative planning and implementation programme for the Proposed Helipad is as below:

·                  Construction of the Proposed Helipad                       [1 year between 2022 & 2024]

(about 4 months for structural works)

·                  Helipad Operation                                         [2024]

2.4      Concurrent Projects

2.4.1.1           Only one concurrent project has been identified within 500m of the Site which is the finishing works and building services installation works at the New Block of QMH.  Cumulative environmental impacts from the concurrent projects, if any, have been assessed in the EIA study.