Editorial | Overseas dentists can help bridge shortage in Hong Kong
The public stands to benefit from a medical system that opens up to foreign professionals without compromising the standards of healthcare services
The northbound quest for medical treatment among Hongkongers in recent years has not just been driven by comparable and cheaper services on the other side of the border. It is also a symptom of the city’s worsening shortages of medical professionals.
Thankfully, the authorities have gradually come to realise that they must open the door wider for overseas practitioners to fill the gaps.
In another timely reinforcement, the health authorities have issued job offers to 12 non-locally trained dentists, including three who started working last month.
The rest are expected to have their limited registration approved by the Dental Council in the coming two months.
The recruitment followed the Legislative Council’s approval of amendments to the Dentist Registration Ordinance, allowing non-locally trained dentists to work in Hong Kong without having to pass the city’s licensing exams.
A two-month global recruitment push last July received 90 applications, a response authorities described as enthusiastic.