Ruttonjee Hospital

{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{Infobox hospital

| name = Ruttonjee Hospital

| org/group = Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association

| image = Ruttonjee hospital 2008.jpg

| alt = Refer to caption

| image_size = 225

| caption = Ruttonjee Hospital, viewed from Queen's Road East

| map_type = Hong Kong

| relief =

| map_size =

| map_alt =

| map_caption =

| logo =

| logo_size =

| location = 266 Queen's Road East

| region = Wan Chai

| state = Hong Kong Island

| country = HK

| coordinates = {{coord|22.27604|114.17521|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| address = 266 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

| healthcare = Public

| funding = Government

| type = District General, Teaching

| speciality =

| standards =

| emergency = Yes, 24 hour Accident and Emergency

| helipad = No

| affiliation = Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong

| patron = Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee

| network = Hong Kong East Cluster

| beds = 600

| founded = {{Start date and age|1991}}; historical ties to Royal Naval Hospital (Hong Kong) (1841)

| closed =

| demolished =

| website =

| other_links =

}}

{{Chinese

| order = ts

| t = 律敦治醫院

| s = 律敦治医院

| y = Leuht dēun jih yī yún

| j = Loet6 doen1 zi6 ji1 jyun2

| p = Lǜdūnzhì Yīyuàn

}}

Ruttonjee Hospital is a district general hospital in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is affiliated with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Hong Kong, and provides clinical attachment opportunities for the university's medical students.

History

File:HK Ruttonjee Hospital fn.jpg

Centrally located in Wan Chai, the Ruttonjee Hospital is a recently redeveloped hospital{{when|date=May 2014}} with a history that goes back more than 140 years. It was founded on the Mount Shadwell, Wan Chai site which was formerly occupied by the "Royal Naval Hospital", which was severely damaged during the Second World War.[http://www.pdavis.nl/RN_Hosp.htm The Royal Naval Hospital, Hong Kong], private website citing Harland, Kathleen, The Royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841, Maritime Books, Liskeard, Cornwall, undated; and Melson, Commodore P.J., (ed.), White ensign – red dragon, Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Hong Kong, 1997

In 1949, the "Ruttonjee Sanatorium" ({{zh|t=律敦治療養院|cy=Leuhtdēunjih Lìuhyéuhngyún}}) was set up with the support of Mr Jehangir Hormusjee Ruttonjee in memory of his daughter, Tehmi Ruttonjee-Desai, who died of tuberculosis in 1943. It was one of the main institutions specifically treating tuberculosis in Hong Kong. Development and expansion of the hospital was overseen by Sister Dr Mary Aquinas Monaghan, a missionary nun from Ireland.{{cite web|last1=O'Neill|first1=Mark|date=1 August 2019|title=Last Word: Remembering Sister Mary Aquinas, who dedicated her life to fighting tuberculosis|url=https://www.arianalife.com/topics/healthcare/healing-hong-kong-2/|access-date=7 July 2020|website=Ariana Life}}

It was converted into the "Ruttonjee Hospital", a 600-bed general hospital, in 1991 not only because the number of patients with tuberculosis had decreased, but also because patients are increasingly treated by out-patient chemotherapy.{{cite book|author=Michael Humphries|year=1996|title= Ruttonjee Sanatorium: Life and Times|publisher=The Sanatorium?|location=Hong Kong}} The hospital now provides a wide range of services to meet the requirements of the community.

Since reconstruction, the hospital has become an acute general hospital with general medical and surgical specialities. It does not, however, provide paediatric, obstetric or gynaecological cover. Its surgical department enjoys high acclaim as the Ruttonjee is the only hospital in Hong Kong to provide gender-reassignment operations. The geriatrics service has also developed in recent years in response to the ageing population of the Wan Chai district.

File:Gatepost stone royal naval hospital hong kong.jpg

Services

  • 24 hour Emergency Department
  • Anaesthesia
  • Cardiac and Intensive Care Unit
  • Radiology
  • Geriatrics
  • Infirmary and Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Orthopaedics and Traumatology
  • Palliative Care
  • Pathology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Surgery

=Others=

  • Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme
  • Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care
  • Combined Endoscopy Unit
  • Community Geriatric Assessment
  • Electro-medical Diagnostic Unit
  • Geriatric Day Hospital
  • Health Resource Centre
  • Special Accommodation Ward
  • Specialist Out-patient Department
  • Volunteer Service

Controversy

On 31 March 2010, the Hong Kong High Court approved a settlement in the legal action brought by British author Martin Jacques over the death of his wife Harinder Veriah. She was hospitalised in Ruttonjee Hospital after an epileptic seizure on 1 January 2000 and died the following evening. The case seemed to expose racial prejudice and medical negligence by doctors and staff.{{cite news|last1=McVeigh|first1=Karen|title=Hospital pays compensation over 'racism' death|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/31/hospital-pays-compensation-racism-death|access-date=4 June 2014|work=The Guardian|date=31 March 2010}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|30em}}