Housemen from Hong Kong universities have accused the Hospital Authority of poor management and lack of direction, resulting in up to three-quarters of this year's graduates being unable to find hospital jobs.
Of the 260 junior doctors from Hong Kong University and Chinese University due to finish their housemanship by the end of June, only about a quarter had received verbal job offers from different hospital departments, said Chinese University housemen's spokesman Dr H. T. Wong.
Dr Wong said this exposed the lack of co-ordination between the administration and universities.
'This year, we may not be able to get a job. But when the three new hospitals in North Point, Tai Po and Tseung Kwan O open later, there may not be enough doctors,' Dr Wong said.
He said the administration should have communicated with the universities to adjust student recruitment if any factor, such as natural wastage, changed.
'In the end, the students suffer and public funds are wasted,' Dr Wong said.
It was estimated that the Government spent about $700,000 to $800,000 on subsidising each medical student for a year.