How to manage eye emergencies in Hong Kong?

The relatively common eye emergencies are retinal detachment, retinal artery occlusion (stroke of eye) and acute angle closure glaucoma, their typical symptoms are as follows:

1) Retinal detachment: Seeing large number of floaters (floating black spots or transparent matters) and frequent flashes
2) Retinal artery occlusion (stroke of eye): Central and painless central vision loss, usually happen on one eye first.
3) Acute angle closure glaucoma: Painful and red eye, blurred vision, headache and nausea

I have done some research in the Hospital Authority webpage (up to Nov 2019) and found out there are seven hospitals in Hong Kong that are with both Eye Specialist Out-patient Clinics and Accident and Emergency (A&E) services, which are shown as follows:

To see an Eye Specialists in public hospital, a referral letter from a local registered medical practitioner issued in the last three months is needed. The fastest way obtaining this referral letter is from the A&E medical practitioner, if s/he deemed that you are experiencing eye emergencies, s/he will immediately refer you to the Eye Specialist Out-patient Clinics in the same hospital. If you go to a hospital that only has A&E department without Eye Specialist Out-patient Clinics, you will waste a lot of time to travel to the nearest hospital that are with Eye Specialist Out-patient Clinics. Every moment of any eye emergencies is very critical, hope the above information can help save the valuable moment wisely.

The author is not recommended you abuse the A&E services in Hong Kong hospital, but just provide a way to obtain medical help in case eye emergencies are experienced. If financial situation can support, many private hospitals and eye clinics can also handle eye emergencies properly

Chan Ka Ho, Paco
Registered Optometrist (Part I)