The role of private emergency department in major sport events

We read with great enthusiasm the article by Chan et al.1 that highlights the paramount importance of medical preparedness during both the planning and execution phases of major sporting events in a metropolitan setting. As the Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) myself, along with Dr. Kenneth Wu, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Hong Kong ePrix in December 2017 and March 2019, we echo the authors' assertion that the establishment of a Unified Communication Channel during the racing days, utilising a standardised communication chart, allowed for efficient, real-time information sharing so that rapid responses and appropriate decisions could be made. During the races, the CMO and DCMO stationed in the Race Control room and fitted with a high-performance video wall display, simultaneously capturing updates from the medical channel while supervising the medical team. Our medical team consisted of medical and nursing specialists from various departments, such as Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesiology, Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery and General Surgery, who underwent specific training in electric car safety, hydraulic rescue, rapid extrication for drivers, evacuation route drills and even a joint departmental exercise with multiple government organisations at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy (FASA). These training sessions were made possible through the significant contributions of our Medical Team Coordinator, Dr. Chan, who has shown full dedication to motorsport medicine and prehospital care. On the other hand, although the HALO (High Acuity Low Occurrence) nature of motorsport events in Hong Kong means that most medical attendances are for minor conditions and can be treated at the on-scene medical centre,2 some still require further care in a hospital. To avoid overloading the already stretched public healthcare system, a private hospital with Emergency Department (ED) facilities was contacted to provide clinical support during the race. Notably, in 2017, a staff member sustained a deep cut to an extremity requiring definitive wound management. In 2019, a racing team member suffered from acute chest pain requiring further cardiology assessment and was transported to the ED via a pre-arranged ambulance. The provision of emergency services for selected conditions by the private ED allowed for customised patient flow and better utilisation of healthcare resources. Another good example is the Hong Kong Sevens (Rugby), an international major sporting event that takes place annually in Hong Kong. The passion for emergency service among a defined group of healthcare professionals, medical institutes and governmental organisations has fostered a comprehensive system for major sporting events in Hong Kong, preparing us for any challenges in the future. Arthur Chi Kin Cheung: Conceptualization; methodology; writing—original draft. Kenneth Wing Cheung Wu: Methodology; writing–review and editing; validation. None. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.