Chief Executive Carrie Lam today expressed some concerns about a new plan proposed by doctors’ groups for overseas doctors to work in Hong Kong. 

Under the plan, non-locally trained specialist doctors who serve in the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health or the city’s two university medical schools could be exempted from the internship requirement if certain conditions are met. 

Mrs Lam pointed out that the Hospital Authority is not only short of specialist doctors, but also frontline doctors. 

She noted the plan proposes to waive the internship requirements, but the terms are different for overseas doctors serving in different institutions. 

The terms are more stringent for doctors serving in the two university medical schools and the Department of Health who are required to stay longer in these institutions after passing the licensing examination, while overseas doctors in the Hospital Authority are required to stay for a shorter period. 

Mrs Lam said the Government would follow up with the doctors’ groups on their proposal and she hopes the final plan approved by the Medical Council would treat all overseas doctors equally.