Medical Council 'united' In Seeking Second Vote

Medical Council member Choi Kin on Monday said there’s near universal support amongst his colleagues to hold a second vote soon on proposals to make it easier for foreign doctors to practise in Hong Kong.

Four options setting out different ways to pare back an internship requirement for overseas-trained physicians were all rejected by the Council last week, with many blaming the body’s failure to reach an agreement on the way the vote was taken.

Council members were asked to either vote yes or no to all four options, and none ended up passing the threshold to make it to a second round of voting.

Choi said on Monday said Council chairman Joseph Lau and his legal advisers can choose to bypass house rules that prohibit a second vote from being taken for six months, and bring the matter back to the next council meeting early next month.

Choi said this time, the council should change the voting mechanism “so that a definitive outcome can arrive.”

“I think nearly all members will support restarting the discussion”, Choi added.

There’s been a chronic shortage of doctors in the public healthcare system, and making it easier for foreign doctors to practise in Hong Kong has been touted as one possible way to address the problem.