Hong Kong passes bill to bring in non-locally trained dentists amid labour shortage
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a bill that would allow for non-locally trained dentists to practice in the city in a bid to ease a labour shortage in the dental profession.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Wednesday called the changes introduced by the bill “historic,” saying the amendment was the “first large-scale and comprehensive” change made to the city’s Dentists Registration Ordinance in over 60 years.
Lo said the city’s dental profession had been hit by a labour shortage, particularly in the public sector. As of July 1, there were 110 vacancies in the 370 positions for dentists under the Department of Health, he told lawmakers at the Legislative Council.
“Plus [there will be] a retirement wave nears in the next few years. We must promptly deal with the short-term and mid-term shortage of dentists, so that it will not affect residents, especially the dental health of underprivileged groups,” Lo said in Cantonese.
The bill would create pathways for eligible non-locally trained dentists to register in Hong Kong – similar to an arrangement made last year for non-locally trained doctors in the city.
They must work in designated health institutions in the public sector, such as the Hospital Authority and the University of Hong Kong, for at least five years before they could apply for full registration and practice freely in the city.
Lo said that mechanism would address some lawmakers’ concerns about having too many dentists in the future, as authorities would only bring in dentists trained elsewhere for vacancies in the public sector that were not filled by local professionals.
“Once the manpower is abundant, the import will stop… to ensure the labour supply is proportionate to local demands,” he said, describing the system as akin to having an “automatic switch-off.”
In recent months, the city has witnessed a growing trend of residents seeking dental services across the border in mainland China.
He added that the Department of Health would work closely with the Dental Council, a statutory body that regulates the city’s dental profession, and begin recruitment abroad immediately. The first batch of non-locally trained dentists could arrive in the first quarter next year, he said.
The amendment also included two other major changes to the ordinance – a one-year internship arrangement for local dental graduates and a statutory registration system for dental hygienists and dental therapists.
“These workers used to be called ‘dental assistant staff,’ which we will rename as ‘dental care professionals’ to establish their professional status,” Lo said.
The bill, which had its first reading in the Legislative Council in April and had since been scrutinised in 12 bill committee meetings, was passed by anonymous voting on Thursday.
The amendment will come into force once it has been published in the government gazette, which is expected later this month.
The Dental Council said it was “delighted” that the amendment had passed and called it a “significant milestone” for Hong Kong’s dental profession.
It added it would firmly follow its statutory role and support the implementation of the new regulatory framework, according to local media reports.
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