I refer to the letter from Rosie Young, Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, headlined, 'Fair to test all overseas medical graduates' (South China Morning Post, January 7).
In her letter Professor Young described how the council was attempting to reduce the adverse effects of the Medical Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 1995 (MRAO95) on Hong Kong permanent residents studying medicine overseas.
I have looked at public records which show how both inadvertently and through neglect, this ordinance injures these students and renders some professionally dead. The Legislative Council's Hansard recorded on July 28, 1995, that delays had forced the ordinance's bills committee to deliberate 'near the end of the Legislative Session . . . The late introduction of the Bill . . . makes it very obvious that proper scrutiny of the whole Bill . . . . becomes wishful thinking'.
Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA) News said, in its September/October issue: 'The effect of this amendment of the MRO [Medical Registration Ordinance] on HK permanent residents studying medicine in previously recognised overseas universities had not been discussed during the process of MRO amendment.' Hansard referred to a possible grace period (supported by the medical council and medical association) of five years so that Hong Kong University (HKU) and Chinese University (CUHK) could 'properly inform new candidates for admission into the medical schools'. The grace period concept was accepted, but everyone neglected to look after our existing overseas students.
When the UK's licensing authority, the General Medical Council (GMC), tried to detach from Hong Kong in 1991, HKU and CUHK medical students were granted a five-year grace period by the GMC. However, Hong Kong now becomes detached from the GMC, with no grace period provision for our own students studying overseas.
A perusal of the facts confirms that this bill was rushed and the medical council was not given the chance to discuss its contents in full. The whole issue of our overseas students was forgotten.
