Letters | Physiotherapists ready to play bigger role in Hong Kong’s health care

Readers discuss developments in physiotherapy, the finance sector’s role in fossil fuel divestment, language learning and the contributions of older workers

Carrie Lam policy address 2021

Letters

Published: 6:00am, 27 Oct 2021

Why you can trust SCMP

The Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association, Polytechnic University, Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Tung Wah College and the SAHK Institute of Rehabilitation Practice unanimously welcome the following recommendations that were put forth in the policy address. We support allowing patients direct access to physiotherapy without referrals; strengthening the role of physiotherapists in the primary health care setting; and making continuing professional development a mandatory requirement for physiotherapists.

First, starting with the entry-level education programme, physiotherapy students are trained to use the best available research evidence when making clinical decisions. Students are exposed to different scenarios to be trained in clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis skills.

Both the academic and clinical education components are designed to meet international standards as specified by World Physiotherapy. With these stringent requirements, the new generation of locally trained physiotherapists is equipped to practise independently when direct access is implemented.

Lifelong learning is the motto of physiotherapists. According to the 2017 Health Manpower Survey conducted by the Department of Health, about 90 per cent of registered physiotherapists had received additional training in various speciality areas. Among them, about 65 per cent had obtained a master’s degree in postgraduate studies. We have full confidence that registered physiotherapists in Hong Kong are confident, competent and equipped to offer direct access.

Second, physiotherapists play a vital role in disease prevention and health promotion. Entry-level physiotherapy programmes include dedicated courses and clinical placement in primary health care and community-based rehabilitation. The existing entry-level programmes are designed to prepare our graduates to serve in these settings.

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Third, the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association, together with education institutions, has long provided continuing education courses in different speciality areas. The aim is to ensure Hong Kong residents with different health care needs can benefit from the latest developments in physiotherapy services.

We will continue to work with local and overseas physiotherapy schools and local accredited development providers in preparing more opportunities for practising physiotherapists to pursue continuing education.

Professor Marco Pang, president, Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association

Finance sector must be clear on climate change efforts

Inspired, while taking a General Education course at Baptist University, by a September 14 letter from Binbin Mariana on Standard Chartered’s questionable loans to the dirty coal industry, we have been investigating how banks in Hong Kong should be held accountable for investment decisions that could increase climate risks.

In May 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority jointly established the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group to coordinate the management of climate and environmental risks to the financial sector. According to its CEO Ashley Alder, the SFC should ensure asset managers integrate climate factors into their investment processes.

Yet, in response to our inquiry about its disclosure policy for banks that financed fossil fuel projects, the SFC asked us to contact the HKMA, which is the frontline regulator of banks.

While we expect the HKMA to issue guidelines for banks on fossil fuel divestment, the SFC should also ensure the banks that are listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange fulfil their environmental, social and governance responsibilities. We urge the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau to step in and help the commission properly inform the public of its policies on green finance under the Code on Access to Information.

Zishan Feng, Yichun Wang, Kowloon Tong

Kindergarten just one part of language learning

I am responding to the letter “Dumbing down is the worst educational solution” (October 23). The reader suggested better language learning opportunities at the kindergarten level would enhance Hong Kong students’ ability to enter the job market and maximise their potential.

I want to point out that all kindergartens are under private sector control in Hong Kong. There are government guidelines regarding the curriculum. Those guidelines emphasise whole-person development and play-based learning, even when language is being taught. They are not strictly enforced.

If you come across a young person with excellent Chinese or English at a very young age, that ability likely came from the family environment. No amount of daytime instruction can give this to a young child.

Having said that, it is normal for families in Hong Kong to provide extra tutoring to kindergarten-age students in Chinese and English, even if it is their mother tongue.

In other words, it takes a whole-team approach to get a four- or five-year-old into one of the top local primary schools. The kindergarten itself is just one piece of the puzzle.

Eleanor Jones, Morrison Hill

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