Kwong Wah Hospital said on Friday that it has seen a surge in the number of patients seeking emergency treatment since its new A&E opened this week.

A spokesman said around 300 people normally attend the hospital's casualty department on a weekday, but the daily number now tops 400.

"Most of the cases are semi-urgent and non-urgent cases, causing some patients having to wait a longer time," the spokesman said.

The hospital in Yau Ma Tei urged people with minor problems and those in a stable condition to go to out-patient clinics or private doctors instead.

The new 6,400-square-metre emergency ward on Pitt Street went into operation on Wednesday morning. It is more than two-and-a-half times the size of the hospital's old A&E department.