THE Legislative Council has told the Government to speed up the introduction of amendments to medical regulations or face a private member's bill on the subject.
The amendments will establish new laws requiring all non-local doctors to sit a special examination before being registered in Hong Kong.
The laws were originally proposed as a private member's bill by Dr Leong Che-hung in 1993, when the Government said it supported the laws and would prefer to introduce them as a government bill.
It has failed to do so.
Last week, the Legco House Committee voted unanimously to support the introduction of a private member's bill to install the amendments, after the government bill again failed to appear on the list of business for the summer session.
House Committee Chairman Elsie Tu yesterday met acting Chief Secretary Michael Suen Ming-yuen and warned him that Legco was prepared to go ahead with Dr Leong's bill if the Government did not act.
She said Mr Suen had assured her the Government was fully committed to the bill and would introduce it before the end of the session, probably in June. The final Legislative Council meeting is on July 26.