'Tests Aim To Humiliate Foreign-trained Doctors'

Executive Councillor Tommy Cheung on Monday hit out at doctors in Hong Kong, saying they are trying to "humiliate" foreign physicians by requiring them to take an exam in order to practise here.

"All over the world, doctors at different stages take different exams. If we have the same exams for locally trained specialists – yes, by all means, all foreign-trained specialists should be taking the same exams. But these exams are made – tailor made – for foreign trained specialists," he said.

"That is just an obstacle to humiliate and exploit people who want to come back to Hong Kong to practise medicine," Cheung said.

His strong criticism comes as the Medical Council hopes to hold a second vote over plans to relax internships requirements for overseas doctors in Hong Kong. The vice-president of Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association, Dr James Fung, had said such a move would be sufficient to attract foreign doctors to the SAR.

But Cheung said this step would help only marginally. He recalled that after reducing the internship requirement for foreign-trained doctors to one year, only a few doctors moved to Hong Kong.

The executive councillor, whose daughter and son-in-law are foreign-trained doctors, also rejected fears that if the regulations were relaxed, it would open doors to doctors from places with inferior standards to Hong Kong.

He told RTHK's Candice Wong that places like Singapore admit specialists from other places, such as China.

Democratic Party lawmaker Helena Wong, meanwhile, said she may move a private member's bill in Legco to amend laws and allow doctors who graduated from some famous overseas medical schools to be able to fully practise in Hong Kong without going through exams.