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for this to be conducted later this summer by Mr. J. R. Clark, Director of Education, Aberdeen, whom the education advisers consider would be an excellent choice for such an assignment.
Medical Department
Of the
10. There are problems facing the Hong Kong Government in staffing the higher reaches of the Medical Department. Dr. Teng, the Director, will retire in January 1971. two Deputy Directors, one is retiring now and the other (Dr. Choa) is Dr. Teng's likely successor. Of the five Assistant Directors three are retiring in the next two to three years and one, who is quite young, is a TB specialist and not suited for other work. There are, therefore, likely to be vacancies for two Deputy Directors and three Assistant Directors in the next year or two. In addition there is little in the way of promising material in the cadre of Principal Medical
Officer.
11.
Dr. Teng discussed this problem with Mr. Moreton in March.
The At his request we have taken up the matter with the ODM. prospects for recruitment of suitable senior people from outside Hong Kong are not good. The Medical Adviser is unable to suggest the names of any suitable candidates from those serving in dependent territories elsewhere. We are advised that all those who have retired from the Colonial Medical Service and who are fit and prepared to work are doing so and are not seeking other employment. The ODM are not very encouraging about the prospects of recruitment from the National Health Service. Clearly we shall have to cast the net very wide where suitable candidates are so few and far between. The position rests with a request to Hong Kong to let us have a more detailed and definite statement of their requirements. We will then be able to take the matter further with the ODM and they, in turn, will be able to test the possibility of recruitment from the various possible sources of supply.
Hong Kong Department 22 May, 1969
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