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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals
Hong KongHealth & Environment

Student intakes ramped up as Hong Kong grapples with chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and dentists

Health chief Sophia Chan says final numbers for increases, which include allied disciplines, will be announced by Education Bureau

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Sophia Chan recommended an increase in student numbers. Photo: Edward Wong
Mary Ann Benitez

From next September, the city’s medical, nursing and dentistry schools will boost their student intakes to fix the severe manpower shortage in the health care sector, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee confirmed on Thursday.

Intakes for allied medical disciplines would also increase, she said, adding: “The final number will be announced by the Education Bureau.”

The University of Hong Kong, Chinese University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University train the city’s doctors, nurses, dentists and related disciplines. In the 2017/18 academic year, their combined first-year intake was 470 for medicine, 625 for nursing and 72 for dentistry.

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Hong Kong’s crowded public hospitals are often stretched to breaking point especially during the flu season when medical wards are full, temporary beds often spill into corridors, and patients wait at least three hours to see doctors at public hospitals and outpatient clinics.
There will be a boost in dentistry student numbers. Photo: SCMP
There will be a boost in dentistry student numbers. Photo: SCMP
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Adding to chronic staffing shortages was the brain drain of experienced doctors moving to the more lucrative private sector. Last year, a record number of doctors left public hospitals, with a turnover rate of 5.7 per cent.
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