Transcript of remarks by SFH at media session
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Reporter: (about today's meeting)
Secretary for Food and Health: Tonight's meeting is a discussion platform for all key medical stakeholders, including representatives from the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Hong Kong Medical Council, the Hong Kong Medical Association and also the two universities, namely the Hong Kong University and the Chinese University of Hong Hong, plus the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Department of Health (DH). Actually, we have started this platform in early March to discuss and try to resolve the problem of medical manpower shortage. This is our second meeting. I would describe this meeting as constructive and very harmonious. All parties have tried their best to provide their comments and proposals to attract more overseas doctors to come back to Hong Kong to work under the limited registration system.
First of all, we have looked into the proposals tabled at the meeting concerning the Medical Council, that is how to relax the current system of internship, or we call the assessment period, for overseas doctors that come back to work under limited registration. Different parties gave their comments. Our principle is to give an equal treatment, that is not a discriminatory treatment, to all doctors working at different parties, namely HA, DH and the two universities. This is our principle. The second principle is to provide incentives to attract people to come back. The more relaxed the proposal, the better it is. We have also discussed at the platform that, apart from specialists, we should look into how to attract intermediate-level doctors as well as fresh graduates to work in Hong Hong. Finally, I put up to the platform that we should streamline the existing limited registration application procedures, so that doctors can come back to work in Hong Kong quicker.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, April 26, 2019
Issued at HKT 0:45
Issued at HKT 0:45
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