Third medical school recommendation to come soon
Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau says the recommendations will be made before September's Policy Address. File photo: RTHK
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says a working group will submit its recommendation on the establishment of the city's third medical school to the Chief Executive before the Policy Address in September.
Three universities - Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - had earlier submitted proposals to operate the new medical school.
Lo said the working group, which comprises six experts, has already met with representatives from all three universities twice.
'We will summarise the proposals from the three universities. The working group will hold another meeting to discuss them. In the short term, we will provide our recommendations to the Chief Executive, who will decide whether to establish a third medical school and which university will run it,' Lo said during a HOY TV programme aired on Saturday.
Separately, Lo also mentioned the government's plans to expand no-smoking areas beyond schools and hospitals to include tourist hotspots.
Under the '10 tobacco-control measures' unveiled by the Health Bureau in April, one proposal is to extend no-smoking zones to within three metres of entrances to schools and hospitals.
It would also empower the Secretary for Health to designate no-smoking areas 'with specific time limits, conditions, or exemptions'.
'We are considering smoking bans in places with many children or students, such as school zones; hospitals and other areas with more elderly people; and also crowded tourist spots,' he said.
Lo pointed out that, since March, Shanghai had enforced stricter outdoor smoking regulations at eight popular tourist sites, saying such a move was beneficial to tourism.
'Many tourists dislike being exposed to second-hand smoke... Banning smoking in tourist hotspots could boost tourism,' he said.
Lawmakers will resume the second reading of the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Bill on September 10.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong doctors get go-ahead to hold hospital, medical school jobs at same time
Hong Kong is allowing doctors to hold positions at both public hospitals and the city's two medical schools under a new 'dual-track' pathway that the government has called a 'breakthrough' in boosting the education and research talent pool. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Monday that the mechanism provided a 'more fitting development pathway' for talent to engage in medical, teaching and research work compared with previous arrangements. The framework also provided stronger support for their teaching and research duties, including conferring the title of university professor, he added. 'This arrangement signifies a breakthrough of institutional framework through collaboration between the [Hospital Authority] and the two local medical schools to train and retain medical, teaching and research talent,' Lo said. 'I hope that the dual-track development pathway will enable more doctors who aspire to engage in medical, teaching and research work to realise their ambitions and contribute to Hong Kong's medical innovation and research while providing clinical services to patients.' The new arrangement involves a collaboration between the Health Bureau and Hospital Authority and the two medical schools at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Up to a third of intake of new Hong Kong medical school to be non-local students
As many as one-third of about 50 students to be admitted initially to Hong Kong's third medical school will be non-local, the city's health minister has said, adding that a proposal on its establishment will be submitted to the chief executive before his coming policy address. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Saturday that the new medical school was expected to be developed without vicious competition in terms of faculty and student sources with the two existing ones. He said the school would mainly recruit second-degree students, including those from outside the city. 'The initial number of students admitted to the new medical school will not be very large. Our preliminary estimate is about 50,' he said on a television programme. Lo said authorities would consider suggestions raised by the three universities interested in opening the school, but the ratio of non-local to local students might be 1-2 or 1-3 in the initial stages. 'In other words, one-third or one-quarter of the students will be non-local,' he said.
RTHK
3 days ago
- RTHK
Third medical school recommendation to come soon
Third medical school recommendation to come soon Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau says the recommendations will be made before September's Policy Address. File photo: RTHK Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says a working group will submit its recommendation on the establishment of the city's third medical school to the Chief Executive before the Policy Address in September. Three universities - Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - had earlier submitted proposals to operate the new medical school. Lo said the working group, which comprises six experts, has already met with representatives from all three universities twice. 'We will summarise the proposals from the three universities. The working group will hold another meeting to discuss them. In the short term, we will provide our recommendations to the Chief Executive, who will decide whether to establish a third medical school and which university will run it,' Lo said during a HOY TV programme aired on Saturday. Separately, Lo also mentioned the government's plans to expand no-smoking areas beyond schools and hospitals to include tourist hotspots. Under the '10 tobacco-control measures' unveiled by the Health Bureau in April, one proposal is to extend no-smoking zones to within three metres of entrances to schools and hospitals. It would also empower the Secretary for Health to designate no-smoking areas 'with specific time limits, conditions, or exemptions'. 'We are considering smoking bans in places with many children or students, such as school zones; hospitals and other areas with more elderly people; and also crowded tourist spots,' he said. Lo pointed out that, since March, Shanghai had enforced stricter outdoor smoking regulations at eight popular tourist sites, saying such a move was beneficial to tourism. 'Many tourists dislike being exposed to second-hand smoke... Banning smoking in tourist hotspots could boost tourism,' he said. Lawmakers will resume the second reading of the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Bill on September 10.
