Explainer | Will a third medical school solve Hong Kong’s healthcare manpower crunch?
- The Post looks at how a third institution will address the city’s medical problems and boost innovation
Universities in Hong Kong are exploring setting up the city’s third medical school amid a healthcare sector manpower crunch.
Several local universities have taken the lead in putting forward proposals to the government.
The Post takes a look at how a third medical school would address the city’s medical problems and boost innovation developments.
1. Why does Hong Kong need a new medical school?
Hong Kong’s healthcare system has been facing a severe shortage of doctors in recent years, the impact of which has been worsened by an ageing population.
According to data from the Health Bureau, the doctor-to-population ratio was up from 1.8 doctors per 1,000 people in 2011 to 2.1 in 2021.
Of the city’s 16,000 doctors, only 42 per cent, or 6,842, work in public hospitals under the Hospital Authority as of last year.
The turnover rate for public hospital doctors stood at 6.1 per cent between January and December last year.
The attrition rate has decreased from 6.9 per cent in 2022-23, down from 8.1 per cent in 2021-22.
