Plan for city's third medical school studied

Eunice Lam

A plan to introduce a third medical school in Hong Kong amid a manpower crunch is being considered by the government, says Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau.

Speaking at an event celebrating Chinese Doctor's Day, Lo said there are only 16,000 registered doctors in Hong Kong - which translates to 2.16 doctors per 1,000 people, the lowest in developed countries and regions.

Less than half of Hong Kong doctors currently work in public hospitals - serving almost 90 percent of patients in the city.

"To assess how good our medical schools are, we should not only compare how many top scorers they have recruited but also look at how many 'Hua Tuo' [ancient Chinese surgeon] the schools have trained," Lo said.

He said the government will continue supporting the two existing medical schools at the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University in improving their teaching capabilities, including increasing student quotas.

Lo said the government has been adopting various measures to increase doctor supply, including increasing the medical student quota from 250 in the 2008-09 academic year to its current 590 a year.

The government has also pumped over HK$30 billion into the universities for medical training facilities, he added.

Authorities expect 250 nonlocally trained doctors to join the Hospital Authority by the end of the year.

The number of public hospital doctors increased by 260 in the fiscal year 2023-24 while the resignation rate dropped to 5.2 percent, from 8.1 percent in 2021-22.

Chinese Doctor's Day is celebrated as a national holiday every August 19 after the State Council's approval in 2017.

The Hospital Authority, Department of Health, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, HKU and CUHK medical schools, Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association and 18 supporting organizations held a celebration yesterday to mark Chinese Doctor's Day for the first time in Hong Kong.

CUHK medical dean Philip Chiu Wai-yan said his school will continue to enhance its medical ethics education for students so that they can not only learn about the latest technology, but also be empathetic and considerate of patients and their families.

HKU medical dean Lau Chak-sing said the school organizes the White Coat Ceremony every September, where medical freshmen receive their long white coats, the symbol of professional physicians.

If Hong Kong builds a third medical school in the future, he said the HKU medical school will collaborate with it to improve the standard of health care in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association president Jane Chan Chun-kwong hopes young doctors in Hong Kong will inherit the professionalism of doctors, including being respectful of life, dedicated and supportive, and having great love for their patients.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com