'Let Overseas Doctors Prove Themselves First'

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2019-02-17 HKT 08:54

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  Executive councillor Tommy Cheung. File photo: RTHK

Liberal Party lawmaker Tommy Cheung on Sunday said he was disappointed and surprised by Chief Executive Carrie Lam's refusal to bring in overseas healthcare workers to ease the burden of public hospital doctors.

Speaking on RTHK's Letter To Hong Kong, Cheung proposed the scrapping of a medical licensing exam and a one-year internship programme - the two major hurdles facing overseas doctors who wish to work here.

Instead, Cheung said they should be put to work in public clinics and hospitals for at least five years to test their abilities before giving them a licence.

This, he said, would ease the public medical manpower shortage in the short term, and provide more choices of doctors to the middle class if some of them enter the private health sector in the long term.

Cheung described this as a win-win sitaution that will attract more experienced overseas-trained doctors, as well as provide high quality medical services for Hong Kong residents.