About Us
About Us
Our Services Highlights
Our Achievements
Our Professional Team
The Pathology Department of United Christian Hospital was established in 1973 and has been managed by Hospital Authority since 1991. It provides laboratory service for population of Kwun Tong and serves as a referral centre for Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung districts of Kowloon East Cluster.
 
Our department provides diverse and comprehensive service in six disciplines of pathology, including Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology and Blood Bank, Microbiology, Molecular Pathology and Mortuary.  24-hour Emergency Laboratory, urgent Microbiology and Blood Bank service are available.  To ensure quality pathology service, the laboratory has obtained accreditation from Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) since 2007.
 
Routine laboratory services, involving basic and sophisticated testing, are provided to inpatients, specialist outpatients and general outpatients and are fundamental to general patient management. The Pathology Department also plays critical roles in various clinical situations, such as providing rapid microbiology support during infectious disease outbreak, providing genetic analysis for guiding targeted therapy for cancer patients, and our blood bank actively participates in activities related to patient blood management. In the last journey of patient care, our Mortuary serves to provide a place of comfort to the deceased and their relatives. 
 
With the contribution of more than 140 medical and technical professionals and about 50 dedicated clericals and supporting staff, our department managed to provide the historical 3.6 million tests in year 2022.  Our Microbiology team and Molecular team were selected as the outstanding team in Kowloon East Cluster in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The Blood Bank “Early Transfusion Early Home” project won the KEC Bright Suggestion Scheme Bronze Award in 2016.
 
Staff training, technology advancement and facilities update are pivotal to service provision. With the opening of the new Pathology Department in new Block A, upon completion of the UCH Hospital Redevelopment Projection in the near future, the Pathology Department is committed to providing continuous excellent pathology service to Kowloon East Cluster population.

Blood Bank

Blood Bank provides 24-hour service allowing patients to have safe and timely transfusion of blood or blood components. Blood Bank also provides viscoelastic testing service which facilitates effective blood transfusion management.
 

Type and Screen

High throughput automated blood bank analyzer for Type and Screen and antibody screening. This allows rapid reporting to meet clinical needs for transfusion.


Crossmatch and Component Therapy

Suitable blood/ blood component units are available and are selected for patients for component therapy.


Antibody Identification

Antibodies related to transfusion are identified with the use of artificial intelligence.


Viscoelastic Testing (VET)

Viscoelastic testing is widely use in ICU, Delivery Operation Theatre and Operating Room to manage coagulopathy and guide transfusion support decisions.

Chemical Pathology & Emergency Lab

The Chemical Pathology Laboratory provides 24-hour services on general clinical chemistry tests such as blood gases, electrolytes, renal function, liver function, cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein. It also provides analysis on tumour markers, hormones profiles, therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicology screening etc. With the installation of advanced models of liquid handling systems and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometers in the Laboratory, the degree of automation as well as the precision, sensitivity and accuracy of test results are greatly improved. 
 
In order to protect the environment and at the same time enhance documentation, communication and work efficiency, paperless workflow has been introduced in all sections of the Laboratory in recent years. To echo the theme of SMART hospital in the Kowloon East Cluster, the Laboratory is planning to introduce a fully automated specimen handling system which can automatically perform specimen transportation, accessioning, pre-analytical processing, test analysis and specimen archiving, sparing the laboratory specialists for more sophisticated and professional tasks.
 
  • The fully automated liquid handling system greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of the pre-analytical sample processing procedures.
  • One of the new liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometers in the Chemical Pathology Laboratory is used for the quantitative analysis of serum vitamin D. 
  • The laboratory automation system in the Chemical Pathology Laboratory is a track-based system which includes a pre-analytical module, clinical chemistry and immunochemistry modules and a post-analytical module. 

Blood gas analysis
Emergency metabolites analysis
Renal/Liver Function Test, Glucose and Lipid ProfileBlood gas analysis
Hormone and Tumour Marker Level
Quantitation of serum drug levels, vitamins and urine hormones
Toxicology Screening

Haematology

The Division of Haematology works closely with our clinical service and offers a wide range of emergency, routine and special haematology investigations. Equipped with the state of art instruments, we are dedicated to providing the best analytical service to ensure efficiency and accuracy of results. 


Complete Blood Count

We offer complete blood count, smear examination, malarial parasite identification and coagulation testing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are equipped with fully automated analyzers, decision support software and information technology to ensure timely and accurate result to facilitate patient’s management. 
 

Peripheral blood smear morphology
Malaria screening

 

Specialized Coagulation Testing

We provide comprehensive laboratory assays to work up for bleeding and thrombotic disorders. With the widely prescribed new oral anticoagulant, we also offer quantitative assays for anticoagulant monitoring
 

 

Haemato-Oncology

We are dedicated to support patients with haematological malignancies. Bone marrow study, immunostaining and flow cytometry assays are essential investigations, not only allow us to diagnose, but also for prognosis and disease monitoring. We also offer enumeration of CD34+ cells to guide management for patients who underwent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
 
Bone marrow examination
Flow Cytometry

 

Red Cell Disorder

We provide red cell disorder investigations including G6PD deficiency screening and diagnostic service for thalassaemia / haemoglobinopathy.


Haemoglobin Pattern Study

Microbiology

Microbiology Laboratory delivers comprehensive diagnostic bacteriology, virology, molecular, parasitology, mycology and mycobacteriology service, totally more than 300,000 tests per year. Our laboratory is staffed by a highly qualified team leading by Consultant Microbiologist. We offer a 24-hour service for both urgent specimen processing and clinical advice. Advanced molecular methodologies are used in addition to traditional techniques to provide timely diagnosis of patients with infection. 
 
We work alongside with Hospital Infection Control Team and play a pivotal role in multi-drug resistant organism surveillance and control, outbreak investigations, staff immunization screening, antibiotic stewardship and more. We have close links with public health laboratory and universities for research activities and development of advanced diagnostic microbiology tests.
 
We also liaise closely with clinical units. Clinical microbiologists offer consultation service and participate in grand rounds to advise on the investigations and management of all types of infection. 
 
Microbiology is a state of art and science, and it requires high level of expertise, professionalism, innovation to unlock the mysteries of microbial world. We all strive for excellence, with quality improvement at the heart of everything we do.

Our Services Highlights

  • Bacteriology
  • Mycology
  • Mycobacteriology
  • Parasitology
  • Serology
  • Molecular diagnostic

 

Genomics

We started our first molecular test for detection of MTB DNA in 1996. Nowadays, we have a wide spectrum of nucleic acid amplification and sequencing technologies for accurate detection of emerging infectious diseases.
 

Proteomics

MALDI-TOF technology has been implemented since 2015 for rapid identification of bacterial and fungal isolates. The turnaround time is shortened to facilitate timely initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy.


 

Anatomical Pathology

Anatomical Pathology Laboratory consists of histopathology and cytology sections. We provide diagnostic services for biopsies, surgical resection specimens and frozen section. The case varieties include gastrointestinal, liver, skin, hematolymphoid, breast, ENT, oral and dental, muscle and nerve, endocrine, genitourinary, renal, gynecology, soft tissue and bone, pediatric, eye, lung, etc. Besides, we also provide diagnostic services for gynecological cytology, exfoliated cytology and fine needle aspiration cytology.
 

Histopathology and Cytology

Histopathology Laboratory is specialized for the examination of tissue samples. These tissue samples are processed, stained and examined under microscope by pathologist to provide diagnosis. Various techniques are used including H&E staining, special histological staining, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, and in-situ hybridization. Histopathology examinations play a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.
 
Biopsy and surgical specimen examination
Cytology Laboratory is specialized for the examination of cytology specimens. Fine needle aspiration, gynecological cytology, sputum, urine and other types of non-gynecologic cytology specimens are commonly used for cytological diagnosis. Various techniques are used including Papanicolaou staining, H&E staining, cell block preparation techniques and liquid based cytology. Cytology samples are important adjuncts to tissue samples in supporting clinical diagnoses in various diseases.
 
Cytology and Fine-needle Aspiration

 
Frozen section
Intraoperative frozen section is a technique which assists surgeons to make immediate decision during operations. Fresh tissue specimens obtained from operation theatres are immediately processed with frozen sectioning technique and microscopic slides are prepared for examination by pathologists. Pathologists will then provide a timely frozen section diagnosis to guide operative decisions.
 

Mortuary

Location: 
B3, Block S, United Christian Hospital
 
Office Hours:
Mondays to Sundays: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
 
For Enquiry: 
3949 4010
 

Molecular Pathology

The Molecular Laboratory in UCH provides a comprehensive range of molecular diagnostic services for all disciplines of pathology. Molecular testing is provided by a dedicated team of medical laboratory technologists, scientific officers and pathologists with expertise in genetic and genomic pathology. Regular clinical services include fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), mutation testing for solid tumours, diagnostic molecular tests for haematological diseases, and pharmacogenetic testing. The laboratory is also committed to professional training for technical and medical staff in molecular pathology.
 
Established in 2012 as a small section in the Department, the Molecular Laboratory has transformed into a facility encompassing over 38 types of basic and advanced molecular diagnostic tests. Our latest developments include the establishment of next generation sequencing (NGS) platform for clinical genomic testing. The availability of genomic analysis would greatly enhance the identification of therapeutic targets for oncology patients and the diagnostic capabilities for pathologists. The Molecular Laboratory will do our best to develop advanced molecular pathology services of international standard to ensure quality care of patients in the KEC.

Implementation of Viscoelastic Testing

UCH Blood Bank has been offering viscoelastic testing (VET) services since 2019. These assays enable rapid, real-time and holistic view of coagulation in facilitation of effective patient blood management and overall patient outcome.

 
Molecular Team
2022 Outstanding Team Award

Microbiology
KEC Outstanding Team Award
  
Blood Bank
Bright Suggestion Scheme 2016
Early Transfusion Early Home
Blood Bank
Bright Suggestion Scheme 2016
Early Transfusion Early Home
  
UCH Pathology department is committed to provide a quality patient-centred service. Our department continued to work towards our mission “For the living ones, we provide timely and accurate laboratory service. For the deceased and their relatives, we provide a place of comfort”.