Lu Chongmao, in a recent appearance on a news program, addressed concerns regarding the quality of non-locally trained nurses who are exempt from testing. He emphasized the need to address the manpower shortage in the Hospital Authority to prevent unfair treatment of frontline colleagues and maintain quality service standards. He also touched on language barriers affecting service quality but stated that certain positions, such as those in the Department of Health and operating rooms, did not require direct patient communication and might be filled by overseas nurses without proficiency in Chinese.
Lin Zhexuan, on the other hand, argued that nurses in operating rooms must be able to speak Chinese to communicate with patients. He also highlighted the language requirements of public hospitals, which deal mainly with Cantonese-speaking patients, and strongly recommended that nurses be able to speak the language. Liu Kaiwen, a former election member of the health service industry, disagreed with the idea of recruiting non-local personnel for positions that did not require direct patient communication, and pointed out the importance of frontline work.
Amidst the shortage of medical staff in Hong Kong, self-funded colleges have suggested reducing the number of internship hours for locally trained nurses to speed up the training process. This suggestion is being reviewed by the Nursing Council, which monitors nurse training courses and updates training requirements when necessary.
The Hospital Authority has announced plans to “grab talents” in London, England, with a doctor recruitment event scheduled for April 2. Participants will be updated on registration channels and working conditions in the public healthcare system, with speeches from various Hospital Authority executives and the executive vice president of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong.
In the face of the outside world’s concerns that it is difficult to check the quality of non-locally trained nurses who are exempted from the test, Lu Chongmao said in the now news program “Big Talk” yesterday that there are quite a lot of vacancies in the Hospital Authority. “Make hair disheveled”, the scene is sad. He said that if the manpower problem is not resolved as soon as possible, it will be unfair to the frontline colleagues and affect the quality of service. There must be a sufficient “quantity” of medical staff to continue to improve the “quality” of service.
When asked regarding non-locally trained nurses coming to work in Hong Kong, would they worry regarding language barriers affecting service quality? Lu said that he understood that nurses need to face patients, and emphasized that language is one of the considerations. However, he gave examples such as Department of Health, operating room nurses, etc. There is no need to face patients directly, and overseas nurses who can consider taking up relevant positions can also be employed without being proficient in Chinese.
Lin Zhexuan: Nurses in the operating room should speak Chinese when communicating with patients
Lin Zhexuan said that before the operation, the nurses in the operating room must confirm the patient’s identity and the surgical site; He said that apart from the Sterile Supplies Unit (SSU), there are “almost unimaginable” nurses in other departments of the public hospital who do not need to communicate directly with patients, and the patients in the public hospital mainly communicate in Cantonese, and there are many elderly people, so he thinks that the public hospital It is best for the nurse to be able to speak Chinese. He said that private hospitals are also facing the problem of staff loss, and their patients may have more foreigners. He believes that if overseas nurses who are proficient in other languages are allowed to work in private hospitals, it will help solve the manpower problem.
Liu Kaiwen, a former election member of the health service industry and a registered nurse in public hospitals, said that nurses who do not need to contact patients are mainly responsible for administrative work and formulating guidelines, rather than frontline work that is the most scarce. He said that if non-local personnel are recruited for relevant positions, it will not help relieve the pressure on the frontline and will run counter to the original intention of the amendment. As for overseas trained nurses, they must have a certain number of years of clinical experience in their original region to be exempted from registration or registration. He said that different regions have different requirements for nurses’ performance and academic qualifications.
Institutions advocate reducing the number of internship hours and the Bureau of Environmental Protection: Update courses when necessary
As for some self-funded colleges recently suggesting to reduce the number of internship hours for locally trained nurses in order to speed up the training of local manpower, Lo Choong-mao said that he is understanding the suggestion of the Nursing Council on this issue. In response to this newspaper’s inquiry, the Nursing Council stated that it reviews and monitors the arrangement of nurse training courses and the training of nurse students from time to time, and will update the training course outline and requirements reference guidelines when necessary to ensure the professional level of graduated nurses.
The Hospital Authority will give a speech on the recruitment day of the UK Office next Sunday
In addition, the Hospital Authority recently stated that it will go to London, England to “grab talents” in April. The bureau announced on social networking sites that it will hold a doctor recruitment day on April 2 (next Sunday), UK time from 9:30 am to 5 pm , the participants will be briefed on the different registration channels, the working environment in the public healthcare system, etc. According to the registration website, the speakers included Gao Basheng, chief executive officer of the Hospital Authority, Guan Huimin, chief executive manager of the Hospital Authority, and Lin Guangwen, executive vice president of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong.
In conclusion, the shortage of medical staff is a pressing issue for the Hospital Authority, and the recruitment of non-locally trained nurses is seen as one solution. While language barriers are a concern, it is important to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity of medical staff to provide quality service. The suggestion to reduce the number of internship hours for locally trained nurses has also been considered, but the Nursing Council will ensure that the professional level of graduated nurses is maintained. The upcoming recruitment day in London is a proactive step towards tackling the manpower problem. It is clear that addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, involving the government, hospitals, nursing councils, and educational institutions. The ultimate goal is to provide the best possible care for patients in Hong Kong.
