XN000022-1990-05-23 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1990

3

ADVICE OF MEDICAL COUNCIL SOUGHT ON COMPLEX PROFESSIONAL ISSUE

* * * * *

WONG,

THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON ELIZABETH TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SHE APPRECIATES THAT THERE IS A NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE ADEQUATE NUMBERS OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO CATER FOR SPECIAL GROUPS AS WELL AS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT THIS MUST BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT ANY DECLINE IN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.

++

"I AM ALSO MINDFUL THAT PROVISION MUST BE MADE FOR THE FUTURE WHEN HONG KONG WILL NO LONGER BE PART OF THE COMMONWEALTH,' MRS WONG SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MARTIN BARROW.

MR BARROW HAD ASKED WHAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE ON A PROPOSAL THAT NON-COMMONWEALTH DOCTORS BE ALLOWED TO PRACTISE IN CENTRES FOR

VIETNAMESE.

WITH THE ABOVE OBJECTIVES IN MIND, MRS WONG SAID, SHE WAS NOW SEEKING THE ADVICE OF THE MEDICAL COUNCIL OF HONG KONG AS TO HOW THE MEDICAL REGISTRATION ORDINANCE MIGHT BEST BE AMENDED TO ADDRESS PROBLEM AND WAS AWAITING ITS REPLY.

"HOWEVER, AS THIS IS A COMPLEX PROFESSIONAL ISSUE, IT WOULD UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT AN EARLY SOLUTION, SHE SAID.

AND

H

THE

BE

PENDING CHANGE TO THE MEDICAL REGISTRATION ORDINANCE, THE UNHCR MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF) HAD BEEN ASKED TO ESTABLISH A RECRUITMENT BASE IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AND TO TAP THE UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS ORGANISATION AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLY FOR REGISTRABLE DOCTORS, SHE ADDED.

THE LATTER HAD PROVIDED TWO DOCTORS FROM NEW ZEALAND WHO WOULD BE ARRIVING SHORTLY.

**MSF HAS THUS BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS IT REQUIRES TO MEET ITS PRESENT NEEDS," MRS WONG SAID.

MRS WONG EARLIER EXPLAINED THAT THE MEDICAL REGISTRATION ORDINANCE PROVIDED THAT ONLY PERSONS HOLDING A HONG KONG DIPLOMA, A UNITED KINGDOM OR IRISH DIPLOMA OR A RECOGNISED COMMONWEALTH DIPLOMA OR ANY LICENTIATE SHOULD BE ENTITLED ΤΟ BR REGISTERED AS MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

"THERE IS PRESENTLY NO PROVISION TO ALLOW PERSONS WITH OTHER MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG, EVEN IF THEY ONLY SERVE RESTRICTED GROUPS SUCH AS VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE OR SPECIFIC FOREIGN COMMUNITIES, MRS WONG NOTED.

"

SUCH DOCTORS WOULD NEED TO PASS THE EXAMINATIONS AND COMPLETE THE PERIOD OF ASSESSMENT NECESSARY TO BECOME A LICENTIATE, THOUGH EXEMPTIONS FROM SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE IN CERTAIN CASES, SHE ADDED.

0

/4