HK to recognise up to 100 overseas medical schools

The Food and Health Bureau on Thursday proposed to set up a committee to draw a list of up to a hundred medical schools abroad to allow their graduates to come practice in the SAR.

This comes after Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the government will table a proposal to change the law to facilitate the return of doctors abroad, to help ease a shortage in the territory’s public hospitals.

Mrs Lam said those given the right to work in Hong Kong must have graduated from recognised medical schools overseas and be qualified to practise.

In a paper submitted to Legco, the bureau said a committee should be set up to establish a mechanism in determining a list of up to a hundred such medical schools, which are of “comparable” quality with that of the two local institutions.

It said the committee should consist of the director of health, chief executive of the Hospital Authority, chairperson of Medical Council, deans of the two local medical schools and other members appointed by the government.

It added that only permanent residents of the SAR will be eligible for the scheme, and they will have to work in public hospitals for five years after obtaining their specialist qualifications before they are allowed full registration here.