April 28, 2022
HONG KONG – The Director of Health of Hong Kong on Wednesday announced the first batch of medical qualifications recognized by a government-formed registration body.
Under the Medical Registration Ordinance, the first batch of recognized medical qualifications covers 27 qualifications from institutions in Australia, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to a government press release.
On Oct 21 last year, Hong Kong’s legislature passed a law that allows overseas-trained doctors to practice in the city without taking a local licensing exam to ease a medical staff shortage.
The next month, the Special Registration Committee (SRC) was established under the Medical Council in accordance with the amended ordinance to determine the list of recognized medical qualifications after reviewing programs offered by non-local medical schools with quality comparable to those provided by the two medical schools in the city. Prof Grace Tang heads the SRC.
I am confident that under the leadership of Professor Tang, the SRC will continue to discharge its statutory duties effectively and complete the task of determining the full list within this year.
Sophia Chan, Secretary for Food and Health, HKSAR
Subject to fulfilment of certain criteria, non-locally trained doctors who possess recognized medical qualifications may apply for special registration to practice in the public healthcare institutions in Hong Kong. They will be granted full registration to practice in the city after serving for a certain period, obtaining recognized specialist qualifications and passing the assessment, the press release said.
Non-locally trained medical graduates who possess the recognized medical qualifications but have yet to undergo internship outside Hong Kong may take the Medical Council’s Licensing Examination to apply for special registration to practice in the public healthcare institutions in the city.
They may also obtain full registration after meeting the requirements applicable to all special registration doctors, according to the release.
Secretary for Food and Health Prof Sophia Chan Siu-chee said she is grateful to the SRC for their hard work in the past few months, resulting in the initial achievements in determining the list of recognized medical qualifications. She is confident that the committee will complete the task of determining the full list within this year.
Given the current shortage of doctors in the public healthcare system, the announcement of the first batch of recognized medical qualifications is timely for qualified non-locally trained doctors to come to serve in Hong Kong’s public healthcare institutions through special registration as soon as possible.
For students who intend to study medicine outside Hong Kong, they may refer to the list while making their choices for further studies, added Prof Chan.