Top Hong Kong government advisers endorse controversial plan to allow more overseas-trained doctors to work in city
- Executive Council endorses proposal after authorities accept ‘mild modifications’ from medical sector
- Move aims to tackle shortage of doctors in public sector and improve quality of health care
Top government advisers have endorsed a controversial plan to attract about 200 overseas-trained doctors to practise in Hong Kong each year, and hope the legislation will be passed this year, the Post has learned.
The blueprint, which was approved by the Executive Council on Tuesday, aims to tackle an acute shortage of public doctors and improve the quality of health care. But public doctors’ representatives said the government had failed to address their concerns.
Council member Dr Arthur Li Kwok-cheung told the Post it would be hard to win support from the medical sector as he did not expect them to back down.
He advised the government to strengthen education before the final plan was presented to the Legislative Council.
“Some local doctors believe it would best if they are the only ones who can practise,” said Li, who was nominated by the city’s leader to promote the bill. “I hope they would think about the public, who have to wait for years simply to get consultation services from public hospitals.”
