Just one-third of Hong Kong residents satisfied with public hospital services as long waiting times and lack of care top list of gripes

With medical resources stretched, lawmaker Helena Wong says government should not encourage local doctors to head across the border to work

Some 34 per cent of survey respondents support allowing outstanding overseas doctors to work in Hong Kong without requiring them to take local exam

Reading Time:2 minutes

Many survey respondents were annoyed about long waiting times at Hong Kong’s public hospitals. Sam Tsang

Published: 5:28pm, 19 May 2019Updated: 10:14pm, 19 May 2019

Just one-third of Hongkongers are satisfied with the city’s public hospitals, a survey has found, with many suggesting overseas doctors should only be allowed to work at these and not private ones.

The survey of about 11,000 people, mostly face-to-face interviews conducted by the Democratic Party from March to this month, also found that many respondents were annoyed about long waiting times at public hospitals.

With medical resources stretched to the limit, party lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan said the government should not encourage local doctors to head across the border to work in the Greater Bay Area – Beijing’s plan to turn Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities into an economic powerhouse.

“The waiting time in public hospitals is so long that there has been no improvement in the past few decades,” Wong said, releasing the survey’s findings on Sunday.

Helena Wong says the biggest problem is a shortage of doctors and nurses. Photo: Jonathan Wong

“There is a shortage of beds and thus we need more hospitals. The biggest problem is the shortage of doctors and nurses. Where do we find enough doctors?”