One university in Hong Kong wants to ensure there’ll be enough trained health care workers for the sick and old in future
Open University aims to offer programmes such as physiotherapy, palliative care, dietetics and dental nursing, as city prepares for an ageing population
As the city’s understaffed public hospitals struggle with the current surge in flu patients and with an expected spike in the ageing population, one university in Hong Kong has ambitious plans to ensure there are sufficient health care workers in future.
Open University, which was set up by the government in 1989 but is self-funded, on Wednesday said it was planning for new courses for allied health professionals, in addition to its general and mental health nursing degree programmes.
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Professor Joseph Lee Kok-long, acting dean of the university’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, said it was working with a US university to set up a Doctor of Chiropractic programme in the next academic year or so, and this would be a first for the city.
He anticipated an intake of about 20 to 30 students.
The school was also planning for undergraduate programmes in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and if these materialised, it would be the second institution in the city to have those courses.
Polytechnic University offers a bachelor’s in physiotherapy, while self-financing Tung Wah College runs a bachelor’s course in occupational therapy.
Lee added that other planned courses included a master of dietetics, and a bachelor of nursing to convert enrolled nurses to registered ones. Registered nurses require more training and command higher pay compared to enrolled nurses.