XN000022-1985-12-18 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1985

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ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, DR THE HON CONRAD LAM SAID WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS HOW WE WERE GOING TO ASCERTAIN THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN HONG KONG,

+FROM THE STANDPOINT OF FAIRNESS, ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEDICAL GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITIES IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PASS A STANDARDISED TEST BEFORE THEY CAN REGISTER AND PRACTISE MEDICINE IN HONG KONG.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, FOR THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH DO NOT ALLOW HOLDERS OF HONG KONG MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS TO REGISTER AND PRACTISE MEDICINE WITHIN THE IR TERRITORIES, WE OUGHT TO TREAT THEM IN A RECIPROCAL MANNER, + HE SAID.

+THIS IS INDEED WHAT WE MEAN BY EQUAL FOOTING,+ DR LAM SAID. HE NOTED THAT A MERIT OF THE BILL WAS THAT HONG KONG DID NOT FOLLOW A DECISION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM INDISCRIMINATELY.

+AT A TIME WHEN WE WANT TO SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOP HONG KONG INTO A PLACE TO BE RULED BY ITS OWN PEOPLE, THIS IS ONE THING WORTH BEARING IN MIND, + DR LAM SAID.

HE REITERATED THAT THE BILL WAS WORTH SUPPORTING, BASED ON THE OVERALL INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE PRINCIPLE OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH, A SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS STILL EXISTED IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

DR LAM ALSO MENTIONED THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS RECRUITED LOCALLY EVERY YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS TRAINED DOCTORS WHO PASSED THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION OF THE HONG KONG MEDICAL COUNCIL.

+1 HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL ARRANGE SUITABLE POSTS FOR THOSE MEDICAL DOCTORS WHO HAVE NO INTENTION TO PRACTISE ON THEIR OWN IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF MAKING FULL USE OF RESOURCES',+ DR LAM SAID.

THANK ING BOTH DR LAM AND DR CHIU FOR THEIR SUPPORT, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID HE SHARED THE VIEW EXPRESSED ON THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR REGISTRATION AS MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

IN VIEW OF THE SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS IN THE TERRITORY, HE SAID, IT WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST THAT THE RECRUITMENT NET COULD DE CAST AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE, PROVIDED THAT PROPER STANDARDS WERE MAINTAINED.

+¡ DOUBT THEREFORE WHETHER IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, AS SUGGESTED BY DR LAM, TO RESTRICT REGISTRATION TO DOCTORS FROM THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH AFFORD RECOGNITION TO HONG KONG MEDICAL GRADUATES.

+NOR WOULD IT BE IN THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY TO REQUIRE ALL OVERSEAS MEDICAL GRADUATES TO UNDERGO AN EXAMINATION BEFORE BEING GRANTED THE RIGHT TO PRACTISE,+ HE SAID.