Hong Kong's Kai Tak Hospital opens with 2,400 beds, gradual service transfer from Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Hong Kong's Secretary for Health opened Kai Tak Hospital on 5 October 2026, the city's largest public hospital with 2,400 beds. The hospital will gradually take over services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital over the next year, starting with family medicine clinics offering 350 slots, with plans to exp

Hong Kong's Secretary for Health opened Kai Tak Hospital on 5 October 2026, describing the journey from the government headquarters in Central as convenient after taking the MTR and a bus. The hospital is the city's largest public hospital, with 2,400 beds — nearly 500 more than the former Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The accident and emergency department has been tripled in size.

The secretary said the new hospital will improve the healthcare layout across Kowloon, noting that the previous arrangement of two emergency hospitals — Queen Elizabeth and Kwong Wah — in close proximity was not ideal. The relocation of services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital to Kai Tak will take place over the next year, with the former to be converted into Hong Kong's first comprehensive day hospital.

The day hospital at Queen Elizabeth will house a high-volume cataract day surgery centre, a high-volume radiology diagnostic centre for CT and MRI scans, and a day radiotherapy treatment centre to meet growing demand from cancer patients, the secretary said, citing the chief executive's policy address.

Responding to a reporter's question about the lack of direct bus routes from the Yau Tsim Mong area, the secretary acknowledged that residents may need time to adapt to the new hospital's location. He said the government understands the transition but stressed the importance of the new facility for meeting rising healthcare demand.

The hospital will adopt a phased opening, starting with low-risk services. Family medicine clinics began on 5 October offering 350 slots. Specialised clinics and allied health services will be added in two to three weeks, with the goal of reaching nearly 2,000 outpatient slots in the near future. The gradual approach allows for equipment testing and patient adjustment, the secretary said.