'Doctors' Assessment More Important Than Exams'

Executive councillor and doctor Lam Ching-choi on Saturday sought to ease concerns about the quality of overseas-trained doctors, who will be allowed to work in Hong Kong once laws are changed, saying doctors who are good at exams aren't always good clinically. Under the government's proposal, non-locally trained doctors will be allowed in without passing tough Hong Kong professional exams for doctors who graduated at medical schools outside Hong Kong.

Doctors groups though have raised concerns, saying it’s unclear what assessments will be made to ensure the quality of doctors.

They said the job of monitoring the standards of non-locally-trained doctors will be left to their future employers, including the Hospital Authority, the universities, and the Department of Health.

Lam said when overseas doctors arrive, they will have to work for five years at public hospitals and be assessed every year.

"Many doctors would know, getting good exam grades actually doesn't mean they're also good clinically, and that they can treat patients well," he said on an RTHK programme.

"The supervisor's assessment of the doctor's work in the ward is more accurate in reflecting the doctor's quality level."

Lam said the legal changes would allow an estimated 300 doctors to come to Hong Kong each year, while the current shortage of public doctors is about 700.

A former health minister, EK Yeoh, said he believed the authorities would act as gate keepers for the quality of doctors. He also added that having exams alone may not ensure quality.

Patients' rights advocate Tim Pang said, under the current system of limited registration, the dean of the University of Hong Kong, former official Gabriel Leung, was also allowed to work in the SAR without passing exams.

He noted that such limited registration might make it unattractive for them to stay in Hong Kong.

Pang also questioned how effective the government's current proposal would be in easing the shortage of doctors in the SAR, as it would only allow Hong Kong residents who are trained overseas to return and work.

Yet, he said the scheme was a step in the right direction towards resolving Hong Kong's healthcare problems.