'All Doctors, Not Just Specialists Welcome In HK'

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said on Sunday that Hong Kong can't just rely on luring foreign medical specialists to the city in order to ease a shortage of public hospital staff, and less experienced doctors from overseas must also be welcomed.

The Medical Council is planning to hold a second round of votes on proposals to boost Hospital Authority manpower next month, just weeks after members rejected several options on relaxing the employment requirements for foreign doctors.

But Chan said the council is only considering ways to attract overseas specialists, and doctors with less experience are also likely to be interested in working in the territory if they can receive training at the same time in public hospitals.

She said she hopes various organisations in the medical sector will cooperate and support measures to tackle a shortage of doctors.

The Medical Council has come in for strong criticism for refusing to back steps to encourage foreign doctors to the city, including relaxing requirements on internships.

Lawmakers from both sides of the political divide have since said they will attempt to strip the council of its power to decide under what conditions overseas doctors will be allowed to work in Hong Kong.