高永文：回港執業需培訓 吸引力未必足夠

眾所周知，香港的醫療水準在全世界是首屈一指的，世界上很多地方的研究和經驗都顯示，基層醫療系統越健全，預防護理做得越好，市民便越健康。本期節目點新聞邀請到了前香港食物及衞生局局長高永文先生，來為我們解答有關香港醫療行業的熱點問題。

主持︰Today there are over 370 thousand of HK permanent residents now residing in the mainland, and that is around 5% of the overall HK population. Due to the pandemic and the travel restriction, the government have subsidized the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital to provide medical treatment for Hongkongers through sites in the mainland. In your opinion, shall this be continued after the pandemic? And what else does the government need to do to expand health care services for those who reside in the mainland?

目前有超過37萬香港永久性居民居於內地，也就是香港總人口的5%，並且由於疫情和旅行限制，政府補貼了香港大學深圳醫院，通過內地分院，為香港人提供醫療服務。在您看來，疫情過後是否還要繼續這一服務？政府還需要做些什麼來保障內地港人的醫療服務？

嘉賓︰Of course, during the pandemic, this is a very needed measure so as to make sure that, the fellow HK citizens who residing in mainland have the necessary venue to gain access to medical services and the medicine supply. But in the long run, I agree that these measures can be considered to be extended into the future, as part of the arrangement to ensure the mainland residing HK citizens can get appropriate medical treatment, as well as considering the development in the Greater Bay Area.

當然，在疫情期間，這是急需的措施，以確保居住在內地的港人有獲得醫療服務、藥品供應的必要途徑。長遠來看，我同意讓這些措施持續到未來，作為確保內地港人能夠得到醫療服務的安排，同時也考慮到大灣區的發展。

The development of medical services and healthcare industry in the Greater Bay Area is also a priority set by the Central People Government. And participation of HK healthcare industry is a key part of this overall development plan. And therefore I think we can take the opportunity of these extraordinary measures during the epidemic, and extend it beyond the epidemic to be part of the initiative for HK and mainland collaboration in development of healthcare services and healthcare industry in the Bay Area.

大灣區的醫療服務和醫療保健行業的發展，也是中央人民政府設定的優先事項，香港醫療保健行業的參與是整體發展計劃中的關鍵部分。因此，我認為我們可以抓住機會，利用好疫情期間的這些非常規措施，並將其延伸到疫情之外，成為香港和內地合作的一部分，以發展大灣區的醫療服務及醫療產業。

主持︰The government will introduce an amendment of the law for the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill, to introduce, and to open up the registration for those non-locally trained doctors who are also HK PR to come to HK and practice in public sectors. Do you think this will alleviate the shortage of doctors in HK?

香港政府將提出法律修正案，即《2021年醫生註冊（修訂）條例草案》，以開闢新途徑讓身為香港永久性居民的非本地培訓醫生能夠在香港的公立醫院執業，您認為這能緩解香港的醫生短缺問題嗎？

嘉賓︰Within my term of service in the HKSAR government, I actually also have been looking into the possibilities and means of various legislative amendments to improve the human resource situation in healthcare industry in HK. At that time, we looked at extending the contract duration and the approval period for non-local doctors, who are employed by the Hospital Authority under the so-called limited registration provision. But seeing that this arrangement had not in the short period of time, been very successful in bringing more local but non-HK trained doctors to the public sector in HK. Then the government see the need for introducing a separate piece of legislation to enhance the pace of recruiting overseas-trained HK medical doctors to help out our situation.

在我於政府任職的任期內，我們也一直在研究各種可能性和方法去修改法例，以改善香港醫療行業的人力資源狀況。我們當時嘗試根據所謂的「有限度註冊」條款，延長醫院管理局聘用的非本地醫生的合同期限和批准期限。但看到這種安排在短時間內並不能為公立醫院引入更多香港籍的非本地培訓醫生，於是政府認為有必要制定另外的法例，以加快招聘海外培訓的香港醫生的速度來幫助我們解決這個問題。

Of course, we have to see the implementation in order to be sure whether this would be very successful, but my feeling is that it would not be very effective given all these restrictions and conditions. Because if you're overseas-trained doctor to be returned to HK, you need to be trained in Hospital Authority for a number of periods, a number of years, before you can be allowed at the registration. So people have doubt about whether this arrangement have adequate attractiveness for overseas trained doctors.

當然，我們必須要看到具體措施的實施情況，才能確定這個措施是否會成功，但我的感覺是，基於所有這些限制和條件，目前的相關安排可能不會非常有效。因為海外培訓的醫生如果想回香港執業，就需要在醫院管理局接受培訓持續一段時間，可能需要幾年，之後才能獲准註冊。所以人們仍有懷疑，這種安排是否對海外培訓的醫生有足夠的吸引力。

But I would take a more lenient view and ask the people to wait and see, the introduction of this arrangement and see their effect before making conclusion. But of course, at the same time, there's also need for government to enhance the training arrangement for all healthcare workers in HK, as well as for the Hospital Authority to look at the means to retain more healthcare workers within the system. Because on the one hand, you are seeking to introduce and recruit more people from overseas; but on the other hand, if you look at the situation, there is a very significant brain drain situation, from the Hospital Authority, the public hospitals right now.

不過我會持保留態度，也想請大家拭目以待，觀察這一安排的實施情況以及其效果，然後再作結論，但當然，與此同時，政府也有必要加強對香港所有醫護人員的培訓安排，同時醫管局也要研究如何在其體制內留住更多的醫療工作者，因為一方面正在嘗試從海外引進和招聘更多的人，但另一方面，如果你看一下目前的情況，我們存在顯著的人才流失問題，從醫院管理局到我們的公立醫院都是這樣。

Every week I hear news about doctors or nurses resigning from the Hospital Authority and joining the private sector. So the HA must look into more innovative means in order to retain the doctors.

我每周都聽到關於醫生或護士從醫院管理局辭職，然後加入私營機構的新聞，所以醫管局必須研究更多方法來留住醫生。

● 點新聞英文節目《EyE on U 容來熙往》，由立法會議員容海恩及全國港澳研究會委員梁熙主持，邀請香港社會各界包括政界、商界及專業人士，分享及討論社會熱話。