Ethics seen as top priority for medical school

Cheng Wong

The city's third medical school should prioritize cultivating professional ethics in doctors and utilize medical innovations to benefit patients, a survey conducted by two patient concern groups says.

The joint survey by the Patients' Alliance on Healthcare Reform and the Alliance for Patients' Mutual Help Organizations revealed yesterday that respondents identified cultivating professional ethics in doctors as the most important aspect of the medical curriculum, followed by training in modern medical technologies for diagnosis and treatment.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong, an advocate from the Society for Community Organization expressed hope for the new school to develop differently from the existing two and enhance medical education and research in Hong Kong for patients and caregivers.

The survey was conducted online from February 26 to March 6. It received 537 valid responses, with 52.8 percent identifying as long-term patients or individuals with disabilities, 41.7 percent as caregivers, and 2 percent as disadvantaged.

Pang noted that the government's emphasis on applying innovative technology across sectors has led respondents to view medical innovation as a key development area, hoping the new medical school will focus on this field and bring hope to patients with rare diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

"Whether as a new economic driver or as a source for patient treatment, it brings new hope and dawn," Pang said.

Proposals for Hong Kong's third medical school will be accepted until the March 17 deadline.

Pang stated they would share the survey results with the three institutions that have expressed interested in establishing the new medical school, namely Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong Baptist University.