Doctors and Hong Kong government move closer to agreement on procedures for staff trained overseas
- Health minister Sophia Chan said Medical Association ‘expressed goodwill’ during talks
- Proposal at centre of row suggests overseas-trained specialists would need to complete a period of service in the public sector
The medical sector and the government have narrowed their differences over how to relax the rules for overseas-trained doctors to work in Hong Kong, after a leading professional group expressed goodwill in a meeting with the health minister on Thursday night.
Sophia Chan Siu-chee also said there had been a positive response to proposals that the application procedures should be streamlined for overseas-trained specialist doctors to come to work in the city, and that there should also be more promotion opportunities for them.
The health minister said there had been a “good exchange of views”, and described the atmosphere of the meeting as “harmonious and constructive”.
She was speaking after meeting representatives of various medical groups, including the Medical Association, the Medical Council, the Academy of Medicine and the city’s two medical schools.
On the so-called equal treatment controversy, Chan said: “The Medical Association expressed goodwill. They proposed giving equal treatment. I believe that the association will talk to its members regarding the detailed time requirement.”