https://www.scmp.com/rss/313097/feed Dr Lina Vyas is an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong, specialising in public policy and management. She has recently been involved in projects related to work-life balance, stress and work from home under Covid-19 and its future applicability, particularly in Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The healthcare sector is among the fastest-growing service sectors around the world. In Hong Kong, the quality of healthcare and patient safety is under scrutiny given its long-standing shortage of doctors. According to data from the Legislative Council Secretariat released last year, the doctor-to-population ratio was up from 1.8 doctors per 1,000 people in 2011 to 2.1 in 2021. However, the ratio remains below that of Asian economies such as Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore. This trend is a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252647/fixing-hong-kongs-doctor-shortage-needs-more-just-recruiting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252647/fixing-hong-kongs-doctor-shortage-needs-more-just-recruiting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:30:13 +0000 Hong Kong has imposed some of the world’s strictest quarantine rules as it targets zero Covid infections. However, the fifth wave facing the city casts a spotlight on the government’s overall anti-pandemic measures and raises questions about their efficacy, consistency and sustainability. Let’s begin with the basics – the “Leave Home Safe” app. Does the app really fulfil its purpose? The recent outbreak stemming from the Moon Palace restaurant, where some diners are still being traced, suggests... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3163085/omicron-how-fifth-wave-highlights-flaws-hong-kongs-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3163085/omicron-how-fifth-wave-highlights-flaws-hong-kongs-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 03:00:17 +0000 As Covid-19 infections decline, the Hong Kong government is trying to boost the vaccination rate to win its fight against the coronavirus. But the battle extends to other arenas. In three important sectors, namely the environment, economy and education – the 3Es – the pandemic has raised issues that need more targeted measures from the government. Take the environment. With a recycling rate below 30 per cent and more domestic waste per capita than economically comparable cities such as Tokyo and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137914/now-hong-kong-needs-fight-effects-covid-19-environment-economy-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137914/now-hong-kong-needs-fight-effects-covid-19-environment-economy-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jun 2021 22:15:00 +0000 Governments around the world have been working hard to combat Covid-19. Social distancing, limiting flows of people between cities and countries and imposing compulsory home or hotel quarantine have been some of the major efforts besides securing vaccines. Hong Kong started its first compulsory quarantine for people entering the city from the mainland on February 8, 2020. From March 19, people arriving from all overseas countries had to undergo 14-day compulsory quarantine at home or in other... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118704/hong-kong-cannot-ignore-21-day-quarantines-long-term-mental-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118704/hong-kong-cannot-ignore-21-day-quarantines-long-term-mental-health?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:45:16 +0000 Can corruption be curbed in developing countries? What lessons can other countries learn from China and India’s experiences? Observing the public trust generated by the anti-graft drives of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, combating corruption has become a signature “clean government” drive across the developing world.  A large number of senior public officials have been investigated in China as a result of the campaign to root out corrupt “tigers” and a huge amount of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2145021/why-indias-anti-corruption-drive-may-be-better-model-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2145021/why-indias-anti-corruption-drive-may-be-better-model-others?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 May 2018 10:30:15 +0000 The ageing of populations is an unparallelled global occurrence, generating concern about labour and skills shortages in many countries. One way to ­address these concerns is to extend the working lives of older people through appropriate retirement, ­retention and recruitment policies. Hong Kong only has a mandatory retirement age for the civil service, but most other sectors take this as a valid reference in establishing their retirement-age policies. Longer and secure working lives lead to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2097650/hong-kong-needs-better-address-age-discrimination-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2097650/hong-kong-needs-better-address-age-discrimination-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2017 04:01:07 +0000 Housing has been a vital source of stress for most middle-class Hong Kong residents. No doubt, the government has repeatedly introduced cooling measures to ease the property market, but it seems that the sandwich class is being overlooked. The supply of housing is on the rise, but it caters mainly to the high- and low-income citizens: the focus has been on public rental housing and high-end accommodation, and the government has been rightly criticised for favouring property tycoons. There is a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1523911/hong-kongs-middle-class-priced-out-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1523911/hong-kongs-middle-class-priced-out-housing-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:15:45 +0000 Earlier this month, the secretary for the civil service launched a four-month public consultation exercise on the extension of service of civil servants. The consultation document lists two policy objectives: to respond to the challenges of an ageing population and to address the corresponding staffing needs of the service. The document proposes increasing the retirement age of civil servants from 60 to 65 for new recruits, while incumbents would be able to work for five years after age 60 at... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1493618/more-work-needed-proposal-extend-hong-kong-civil-servant-retirement-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1493618/more-work-needed-proposal-extend-hong-kong-civil-servant-retirement-age?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:15:45 +0000 As a typical modern society, Hong Kong is characterised by heavy workloads, a fast work pace and long hours. Work and family are the two major domains of life; however, an imbalance contributes to a conflict between the two. As a consequence, we tend to distance ourselves from family commitments. Hong Kong's birth rate is now one of the world's lowest. This has serious and far-reaching implications, especially on the city's population, leading to an ageing society which in turn means an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1456133/hongkongers-should-be-able-have-family-life-and-good-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1456133/hongkongers-should-be-able-have-family-life-and-good-career?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:45 +0000