Authority aims to train all junior hospital doctors as specialists

The Government is aiming to turn all junior doctors in public hospitals into specialists.

Answering a question from legislator Dr Lo Wing-lok, who represents the medical sector, Secretary for Health and Welfare Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong said the Hospital Authority aimed to give specialist training to all its junior doctors.

More than 1,200 resident doctors are undergoing the authority's training to become specialists under three-year contracts. Family medicine specialist trainees are on two-year contracts. After finishing their training, the authority will employ them as specialists if there are openings in public hospitals.

Dr Lo asked whether they would have their contracts extended as specialist trainees if they could not find jobs as specialists with the authority.

Dr Yeoh said the authority would be 'flexible' when dealing with contract extensions. 'The whole point is to give them a chance to train, and whether the authority could take them on further depends on whether there are openings,' he said.

He hoped some doctors who passed as specialists would serve the public as private doctors. He said not all of them should work in public hospitals.