HKU to ensure Hong Kong's doctor supply

The head of the University of Hong Kong's medical faculty said on Wednesday that it is important to ensure that support for all medical schools will continue after the establishment of a third such institute in the city. The government said earlier that a medical school will be set up in the Northern Metropolis. So far, three universities have submitted proposals to run it. Professor Lau Chak-sing said HKU will help ensure there are enough doctors to serve the people of Hong Kong. "We will continue to do our very best in training the best doctors with diversification, so they will not just be good in looking after patients, but also have a good understanding of disease mechanism, medical and health research, and be able to contribute to research development in Hong Kong and beyond," he said. Lau added that the university's plan to establish a new graduate-entry medical programme can help produce the right doctors for the SAR. "We have been receiving students who have completed a first degree before joining us in studying medicine [as a second bachelor's degree]. We have some experience in these students, and these students are more mature, more empathetic, and we find this is a useful development within the medical faculty," he said. Meanwhile, Lau said the faculty's new clinical trial centre in Hetao which opened last week will provide a one-stop platform for training medical talent in Hong Kong. He said the centre aims to increase the standards of clinical trials by coordinating different stakeholders' needs, including the two existing medical schools, and public and private hospitals. "The institute is a common platform to facilitate clinical trials development in Hong Kong, we hope to attract industry investment in Hong Kong, attract clinical trials to be performed and conducted in Hong Kong as well as the Greater Bay Area," Lau said. He added that the centre will train as much talent as possible so the city's medical industry can continue to thrive.