ENG-2008 — Page 223

Health | 171

Apart from providing the community with public healthcare services, the Hospital Authority also undertakes training of specialists. Each year, the majority of medical graduates of the two local universities are offered appointment to the Hospital Authority to receive specialist training while working in the Hospital Authority. The Hospital Authority created a total of 350 such specialist training posts. in 2008. To improve the remuneration package of doctors under training and to ensure they have sufficient time to complete their training, the Hospital Authority introduced a new career structure for doctors in 2007. Under the new structure, over 200 doctors completed the training at the Hospital Authority and obtained specialist qualification during the year.

Dentists

Training in dentistry is available at the University of Hong Kong, which admitted 51 dental students in 2008. During the year, 12 candidates who completed their dental training outside Hong Kong passed the licensing examination conducted by the Dental Council of Hong Kong.

Chinese Medicine Practitioners

The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University offer full-time undergraduate degree courses in Chinese medicine. In 2008, 75 full-time local Chinese medicine bachelor's degree graduates who passed the licensing examination were registered as Chinese. medicine practitioners.

Allied Health Professionals

For allied health professionals, degree programmes in the fields of medical laboratory science, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry and radiography were offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which enrolled 30, 63, 40, 40 and 34 students respectively in 2008.

In 2008, the Hospital Authority started the model of professional development for the allied health grades to equip the allied health staff in various disciplines with specialised knowledge and skills. During the year, the Diagnostic Radiographer, Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist grades have introduced the new model in specialist services relating to diagnostic ultrasound, musculoskeletal and mental health respectively.

To address the service demand and tie in with the new model of professional development, the Hospital Authority established the Institute of Advanced Allied Health Studies in 2007. In addition to devising a structured long-term training plan. for allied health staff, the institute also runs courses on specialist and multi- disciplinary training and personal development, which include a three-year in-service training course organised for new recruits of 12 allied health grades. About 188 new recruits enrolled in the course in 2008.

Nurses

The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Open University of Hong Kong provide basic