Private Doctors Clamouring For Covid Jabs: Union

The government has been urged to speed up its process of allowing private doctors to join the territory-wide Covid-19 vaccination programme, and to replenish the supply of jabs for them more quickly.

The call was made by the president of the Hong Kong Doctors Union, Dr Henry Yeung, as 800 private doctors started to administer the Sinovac vaccines on Tuesday.

But Yeung told RTHK that dozens of doctors have complained to him that the authorities haven't confirmed whether they can be included in the scheme.

The government had earlier said that around 1,500 private clinics will be providing the mainland-made Sinovac jabs.

"The list of the doctors [who'd complained] has been given to the bureau. I hope the bureau can flexibly and swiftly handle that," Yeung said.

Meanwhile, another private doctor, Lam Wing-wo, called on the authorities to replenish the stock of jabs quickly, saying the 80 doses he was allocated would probably run out within a few days.

He said he would like to be told sooner when he can get a second batch of vaccines, adding he hoped the maximum amount of shots a doctor can order each time could be increased from 80 to 160 to meet the huge demand.