WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1986
5
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS ENSURE HIGH STANDARD
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THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY ARE AIMED AT ENSURING MINIMUM STANDARDS OF PRACTICE WHICH ARE ACCEPTED AS REASONABLY HIGH BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, THE HON ANDREW WONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE PENALTIES FOR PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY BY UNREGISTERED PERSONS (MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS) BILL 1986, MR WONG SAID THE SYSTEM WAS FAR FROM ONE WHICH DISCRIMINATED AGAINST CHINESE-TRAINED MEDICAL GRADUATES AND CERTAINLY NOT ON ACCOUNT OF THE LANGUAGE PROBLEM.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE BILL ONLY SOUGHT TO INCREASE THE PENALTIES IN THE ORDINANCE CONCERNED.
+THERE ARE NO BASIC CHANGES, EXCEPT FOR THE TIMELY CREATION OF A NEW OFFENCE IN CAUSING INJURY TO PERSONS TREATED WHILE PRACTISING ILLEGALLY, HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE IMPORTANT ROLE PLAYED AND THE RESPONSIBILITY SHOULDERED BY DOCTORS AND DENTISTS WERE INDISPUTABLE. A RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT WOULD THEREFORE ENSURE THAT THERE SHOULD BE STANDARDS OF PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY OF ITS OWN WHICH, COMMENSURATE WITH PUBLIC INTEREST, SHOULD BE MINIMUM STANDARDS THAT WERE REASONABLY HIGH AND ACCEPTABLE BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
MR WONG NOTED THAT THERE HAD RECENTLY BEEN PROTESTS AGAINST ALL ORDINANCES WHICH AFFECTED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THE PRACTICE OF BOTH MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY BY UNREGISTERED +DOCTORS+ AND +DENTISTS+.
+PERHAPS IT IS OPPORTUNE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE PROTESTS HERE IN THIS COUNCIL, NOT ONLY BECAUSE SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS ARE FACTUALLY WRONG, BUT THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INFORMED OF THE EXISTING STANDARDS OF MEDICAL AND DENTAL PRACTICE IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT TO BE REGISTERED AS A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER, A PERSON MUST EITHER HOLD A HONG KONG DIPLOMA, OR HOLD A RECOGNISED COMMONWEALTH DIPLOMA, OR HOLD A LICENTIATE. BY A RECOGNISED COMMONWEALTH DIPLOMA, IT MEANT A DIPLOMA RECOGNISED BY THE GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
MR WONG SAID HE HAD HEARD ALLEGATIONS THAT THIS WAS AN OUTDATED COLONIAL SYSTEM. + MUST HOWEVER SAY THAT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOVEREIGNTY QUESTION.+
PHONG KONG'S