In the latest Policy Address by Chief Executive John Lee, it was announced that the government will support local universities in establishing a third medical school to train more excellent doctors to support the local healthcare system in providing quality services.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin stated that the preparatory working group for the new medical school will hold its second meeting at the end of this month to discuss the criteria for the new medical school. Institutions can revise their proposals based on the criteria set by the working group.
In a radio program today (Nov. 16), she mentioned that although several institutions have expressed interest in establishing a medical school, the government will choose the most suitable one to address the local demand for healthcare professionals. Currently, the ratio of doctors to the population in Hong Kong is not ideal, and there is an urgent need for more doctors. She hopes that the future development of medical education will be more diversified.
She also pointed out that cultivating medical research talent is one of the goals of the third medical school. This includes integrating artificial intelligence with engineering disciplines, which is a current trend in medical development. There is a strong demand for clinical medical teaching staff and medical students at present, and it is important to avoid competition among the three medical schools for talent and students. Instead, they should explore complementary roles and healthy competition.
She also mentioned that innovative technology and biomedical sciences are among the directions for the third medical school.
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