Helping HK train foot health specialists
發佈日期: 2025-05-15 23:57
TVB News
The Hospital Authority has rolled out a new round of overseas training sponsorship, fully subsidising students to obtain a bachelor's degree in podiatry abroad.
The scheme has a training quota for three to four students this year.
A podiatrist conducts vascular assessment for the patient, checking the pulses in her foot so as to assess her blood vessel's situation.
Tracy is a local podiatrist who joined the Hospital Authority about two years ago.
She graduated with an undergraduate degree in chemistry but decided to take up new challenges after speaking to her podiatrist friends. Her daily routine includes treatment for diabetic foot ulcer and athlete's foot.
She said: "I'm actually very satisfied with my job, although many people may think that my duty is quite dirty because we have to treat the foot, the hygiene problem, actually, every clinical service such as wound nurse, they also still have to deal with dirty wounds over the foot or blood loss. It's my duty and my responsibility, it's not something hideous, I am proud of my job and I'm not ashamed of it.
She found much pride and meaning from her daily work, especially when she managed to save patients from amputation.There is no recognised programmes for training on foot treatment provided by local tertiary institutions at the moment.
Tracy joined the HA's overseas training sponsorship programme, and received a full subsidy of roughly 400,000 to 500,000 dollars to pursue a bachelor's degree in podiatry.
The scheme was launched in 2005. Currently, 51 out of the 54 podiatrists employed by the HA are graduates of the programme, and they are required to serve in public hospitals for at least five years.
This year's scheme has a training quota for three to four students.
"Each year, we will solicit the inputs, and also the comments from the hospitals within the clusters to assess their own demand for podiatry service in the coming three to five years," said Priscilla Poon, Chief Manager (Allied Health), Hospital Authority. "So, they will let us know what is the approximate number of podiatrists that they require in the upcoming three to five years."
Poon added that the scheme's attrition rate is relatively low, but she believes the demand for podiatrists may increase as the local population ages.
The Hospital Authority said apart from training up more podiatrists, it would also expand its overseas training sponsorship scheme, depending on the city's evolving healthcare service demand.
