ENG-2009 — Page 235

Health 175

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 2009, 59 full-time local Chinese medicine bachelor's degree graduates who passed the licensing examination were registered as Chinese medicine practitioners. The Hospital Authority also provides clinical training opportunities for graduates of degree courses in Chinese medicine.

Currently, Chinese medicine outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority have to employ new graduates of degree courses in Chinese medicine as junior Chinese medicine practitioners and to provide them with up to three years of training. As at the end of 2009, 67 graduates in their first year training and 99 trainees in their second and third year training were employed in 14 Chinese medicine outpatient clinics of the Hospital Authority.

Allied Health Professionals

Hong Kong Polytechnic University offers degree programmes for allied health professionals, in the fields of medical laboratory science, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry and radiography. In 2009 enrolments in these courses numbered 33, 70, 46, 40 and 55 respectively.

To address the service demand and tie in with the new model of professional development, the Institute of Advanced Allied Health Studies under the Hospital Authority devises structured long-term training plan for allied health staff and runs courses on specialist and multi-disciplinary training and personal development. These include a three-year in-service training course organised for new recruits of 13 allied health grades.

A total of 246 new recruits enrolled in the course in 2009. Moreover, to tie in with the new career development model implemented in three of the allied health grades including physiotherapist, occupational therapist and diagnostic radiographer, a three-year advanced specialist certificate course and a number of overseas scholarships were offered.

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 registered nurse training. The four universities recruited 895 nursing students into their four-year general nursing degree programmes in 2009, while the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong enrolled another 105 nursing students into their three-year Master Degree of Nursing Programme. In addition, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University enrolled 160 students into its three- year higher diploma nursing programme.

The Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, St Teresa's Hospital and the Hong Kong Baptist Hospital Nursing School also provide basic enrolled nurse training.