Plan to tackle shortage of doctors under scrutiny

Authorities accept medical sector’s ‘mild modifications’ to win its support

government advisers are set to scrutinise a controversial plan today to allow more doctors trained overseas to practise in the city after authorities accepted “mild modifications” from the medical sector to win its support.

But the blueprint remains largely identical to the one Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor put forward in February to tackle an acute shortage of doctors in the public sector and improve the quality of health care, according to insiders.

“The government’s final proposal will be similar to the one mentioned by Lam several months ago. It may not resolve the shortage of doctors completely, but it will help,” one source said.

According to the proposal unveiled in February, applicants must meet three requirements: they must be permanent residents; graduates of recognised foreign medical schools already registered as doctors or holders of specialist qualifications outside the city; and be willing to work in the city’s public health care system for five years after obtaining their specialist qualifications.

Only then can they obtain full registration in the city without the need to pass the local licensing exam and also have the option to work in the private sector.

Analysts believed the new scheme would attract overseastrained doctors interested in a career in the private sector, but who were previously deterred by the licensing exam and internship requirements.

The government had proposed that a committee comprisTop ing health officials, the Medical Council’s chairman and medical educators be set up to draft a list of recognised medical schools, which should be of a “quality comparable” to their two local counterparts. The number of schools on the list, which would be reviewed every three years, would be capped at 100.

Hong Kong Medical Association president Dr Gabriel Choi Kin, who previously characterised the scheme as a “wrong step”, said yesterday he was told by the association’s ex-president Dr David Fang Jin-sheng that authorities were willing to compromise.

“Fang said they agreed mild modifications on certain points could be made to the proposal,” Choi said, adding that such changes included allowing more members from the Medical Council to sit on the committee responsible for vetting the overseas medical schools.

But Hong Kong Public Doctors’ Association president Dr Arisina Ma Chung-yee said she remained unconvinced that the government’s plan was the only solution to the shortage.

The Medical Association and the Public Doctors’ Association represent more than 12,000 medical professionals and more than 6,800 doctors and dentists in the public sector, respectively.

Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan said the shortage of public doctors meant many residents waited for months or more than a year for public medical treatments.

“Some people may be lucky not to suffer from serious medical conditions, or their insurance plan covers their private hospital fees,” he said. “Many lowerincome residents have to wait for a long time just because they don’t have the money.”

Many lowerincome residents have to wait for a long time just because they don’t have the money

TOMMY CHEUNG, LIBERAL PARTY CHIEF