Govt set to amend Medical Registration Ordinance to boost efficiency

Authorities are set to amend the Medical Registration Ordinance in a bid to boost the Medical Council's efficiency.

Initial suggestions include increasing the proportion of non-medical members in the council and improving the mechanism on handling complaints.

The Health Bureau announced its intention to amend the Medical Registration Ordinance just one day after the Office of the Ombudsman offered suggestions to deal with complaints about the Medical Council's inefficiency.

They include raising the proportion of non-medical members in the current 32-member Medical Council from its current one-third ratio.

In a bid to boost the efficiency on dealing with complaints, authorities also proposed to strengthen the Medical Council's mechanisms, such as setting up targets to handle the complaints in various phases and the inclusion of more independent adjudicators.

The proposal also aims to increase the Director of Health's role in the Medical Council - allowing more government oversight in the council's work.

Under the proposed measures, medical practitioners found to have committed serious offences could have their names removed from the list of registered doctors.

This as Alex Lam, Chairman of Hong Kong Patients' Voices, noted the lack of opportunity for lay members in the Medical Council to offer suggestions during council meetings.