XN000022-1985-10-18 — Page 6

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1985

5

DR KHOO NOTED THAT IN THE PAST YEAR THERE HAD BEEN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AMONG MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONS IN THE ORGANISATION OF POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION IN HONG KONG,

THIS INTEREST, HE SAID, WAS STIMULATED BY THE WINDS OF CHANGE THAT WERE BLOWING ACROSS HONG KONG IN PREPARATION FOR 1997, WHEN HONG KONG BECAME A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.

+DOCTORS ARE ANXIOUS THAT HONG KONG WILL NEED TO ESTABLISH ITS OWN POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION SYSTEM BY THAT TIME, HE SAID.

HE SAID IT WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG TO SET UP A STRONG AND INTERNATIONALLY-RECOGNISED POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL AND CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION SYSTEM.

THE IDEA TO SET UP THE WORKING PARTY WAS DISCUSSED AND ENDORSED BY THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MDAC) AT ITS LAST MEETING.

THE COMMITTEE HAD ADVISED THAT THE WORKING PARTY SHOULD BE CHAIRED BY AN OVERSEAS PERSON, WHO SHOULD BE AN ACADEMICIAN WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS IN EXISTENCE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

IT WAS ALSO PROPOSED THAT MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING PARTY SHOULD INCLUDE A WIDE SECTION OF THE PROFESSION, SUCH AS FROM THE GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITIES, SUBVENTED HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS.

DR KHOO SAID THAT THE WORKING PARTY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO ITS WORK AND TO SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT ON AN APPROPRIATE SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG.

EXPLAINING THE WORKING PARTY'S TERMS OF REFERENCE, DR KHOO SAID IT WOULD BE ASKED TO RECOMMEND A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM FOR POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION THAT WOULD INCLUDE TRAINING, SETTING STANDARDS, CONDUCTING LOCAL EXAMINATIONS, AWARDING DIPLOMAS, ACCREDITING PROGRAMMES OF TRAINING AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FUNDING OF THE SYSTEM.

J

THE

REGARDING THE PRESENT POSITION OF POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, HE SAID THAT BECAUSE OF HEAVY RELIANCE ON THE MEDICAL ROYAL COLLEGES AND OTHER OVERSEAS POSTGRADUATE BODIES, HONG KONG DID NOT HAVE A SYSTEM TO ORGANISE, ADMINISTER, ACCREDIT AND FUND POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION.

THE WORKING PARTY, HE SAID, WOULD BE EXAMINING THE SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SINGAPORE, AUSTRALIA, THE UNITED STATES AND SO ON.

AFTER TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH PREVAILED IN HONG KONG, THE WORKING PARTY WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT IT REGARDED AS THE MOST APPROPRIATE SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG.

IT WAS, THEREFORE, TOO PREMATURE TO TALK ABOUT AN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE FOR HONG KONG, HE ADDED.