'Ventilator came loose due to patient movement'

A panel tasked with probing a medical blunder at Kwong Wah Hospital on Friday said they believe the ventilator tube came loose on a patient because he moved. The 51-year-old man was found unconscious after the incident in February and remains in critical condition. In a statement concluding the investigation findings, a group of doctors and hospital managers said it is a known risk that body movements can cause a ventilator tube to dislodge, even though the patient was restrained. The probe also found that a device that was supposed to monitor his vital signs was probably not connected to the central system. The panel suggested the hospital establish a cross-checking mechanism to ensure life-supporting equipment and monitoring devices work properly. It also called on the hospital to use amplifiers and upgrade the alarm system of the ventilators, saying medical workers could hardly hear the alarm once the doors of the isolation ward were closed. Kwong Wah Hospital said it would implement the recommendations, adding it has explained the findings to the patient's family and extended its sincere apologies to them again.