Train Hong Kong family doctors properly, says top health care practitioner
College of Family Physicians president says move is essential to reduce burden on hospitals as population gets older
The city’s family doctors should be given basic training to provide comprehensive family health care as some are not properly prepared for adopting a bigger role in future, a top family physician said.
Dr Angus Chan Ming-wai, president of the College of Family Physicians, told the South China Morning Post that training in family medicine, a speciality which focuses on general care of people of all ages, would help doctors better handle patients.
Chan said such knowledge should also be required for doctors listed by the government as primary care doctors. “Family doctors don’t deal with flu only, but also physical, social and psychological issues. Many patients are actually suffering from anxiety and depression when they come to us,” the family medicine specialist said.
Among some 13,000 doctors in Hong Kong, around 440 are specialists in family medicine. Other doctors providing such care could be specialists in areas such as paediatrics, as no specific postgraduate qualification is required for a registered doctor to provide primary care services.
