It’s time to review no-questions-asked pay rises and bonuses, and no-strings-attached overseas training sponsorships and incentives. Funding should be based on value-driven outcomes supported by data, with salaries subject to performance, and bonuses and incentives tied to years of service.
The time and money spent on each doctor in Hong Kong are massive, but that investment is still ill-conceived and pales compared to private sector incentives. The Hospital Authority should take some ideas from the private sector, such as letting doctors leave their contract only after repaying their training debts.
Cultural and economic factors make the trend of an ageing population hard to remedy, but Hong Kong can ease its burden. Keeping the elderly working and socially active, reforming the healthcare sector and incentivising couples to have children are among the city’s options.