Two Chinese Medicine Docs Land In HK To Ease Shortage

Two Chinese medicine practitioners from Guangdong have arrived in Hong Kong to help ease the territory's healthcare manpower shortage, the Hospital Authority (HA) said on Wednesday.

Xie Dongping and Wu Guangping are working at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and have been approved by the Medical Council under a limited registration scheme.

The pair are to work in Hong Kong for a year as part of a programme bringing in doctors from the Greater Bay Area.

Xie said their previous work experience at the AsiaWorld-Expo makeshift hospital has familiarised them with Hong Kong’s healthcare system.

“I have been trained by colleagues in Hong Kong when I worked at the AsiaWorld-Expo hospital in March. It has familiarised us with things such as the English system in Hong Kong. We can communicate with [local staff] without issues," he said.

Rowena Wong, a chief manager with the Hospital Authority, said the pair will initially focus on treating Covid patients and training four local veteran Chinese medicine practitioners.

“They will be conducting clinical practice and training and support for research work that we are working on. The focus for us in this period will be mainly on Covid-19 serious or critical cases,” she said.

Wong added that the HA is looking to expand the scope of the programme, bringing in more doctors and getting them to stay for longer periods.