Not Ideal Time To Talk About Overseas Doctors: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday rejected calls to push forward with changes that will allow foreign doctors to come and work in Hong Kong, saying this is not the right time to start such a discussion.

She was responding to a question from Liberal Party leader Felix Chung who urged Lam to change regulations to bring in doctors working abroad, as Hong Kong hospitals are facing an acute manpower shortage amid a surge in flu cases.

Chung admitted that such a regulation change is controversial as there’s “great resistance” from local doctors against this.

But he urged Lam to allow at least let Hong Kong residents who have completed medical training overseas to come back and work here.

Currently, doctors working abroad have to pass a test here before they can practice medicine.

“I believe when there’s a will, there’s a way. Just like abolishing the MPF offsetting arrangement, there was no consensus in the business sector either. But if you want to do it, it could be done. So can you just ignore the objection from the medical sector?” he said.

But the Chief Executive shied away from his challenge.

“You’ve overestimated the capability of the Chief Executive. I could only do my best in resolving controversies in the community,” Lam said.

She said doctors are very busy now and it is not good to start talking about overseas doctors at this point.

“Doctors are already very busy and if they need to spend time to discuss whether they should open the sector or not, I don’t think it’s an easy problem to deal with,” Lam said.