Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau has pledged to actively consider a proposal to set up a third medical school in Hong Kong to address the shortage of healthcare professionals.
Speaking on Sunday at a doctors' appreciation event, Lo stated that in order to address the staffing issue, the government will support the education of regional physicians and keep medical professionals employed at public hospitals.
"In recent years, the government has allocated over HK$30 billion to fund the construction of medical training facilities at universities," he stated.
"In the future, the SAR government will continue to support the two existing medical schools by enhancing their teaching capabilities, and boosting admission quotas and sources. The government will also actively consider a proposal to establish a third medical school."
There are now only two universities that own medical schools in the SAR: the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which together graduate 590 students each year.
In February, Nancy Ip, the president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, expressed her hope to open the city's third medical school by 2027 to the media.
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