Could Hong Kong’s new overseas doctor proposal improve access to healthcare?
Hong Kong has announced plans to bring in foreign-trained doctors – a move that has received much critique from local practitioners, but also one that the local government feels is necessary to help combat the staff shortage in public facilities
According to local news agencies, a new regulation being considered by the Hong Kong government could see doctors that have trained overseas obtain full registration for working in Hong Kong without needing to pass the licensing exam, supposing they have worked at least five years in the city’s public sector.
The logic being that this will encourage more doctors into the public health sector – which is currently experiencing a shortage staff – as they will not have to face the hurdle of the licensing exam.
However, local medical groups warn that this may just encourage less-skilled medical practitioners to enter the country’s healthcare system before moving into the private sector after just a few years.
International patient care
The contentious proposal also raises further questions for international patient care here – one being, might having an increased number of foreign-trained medical professionals in the country improve the access to healthcare for international patients in the city state?
It seems reasonable to assume that an increased number of healthcare practitioners in public facilities would improve waiting times in public hospitals, and would mean that there are more healthcare options available in a certain vicinity, but should local medical groups concerns prove to be correct, may it also mean that quality of medical care is reduced here? And might it also mean that patients are more often steered towards private facilities?
The impact on international patient assistance remains to be seen. Definitely one worth keeping an eye on.