Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy rate in the world (82 years for males and 88 years for females), which, according to a report from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, can be attributed in large part to the city’s economic development.

According to the university report, Hong Kong consistently edges out the United Kingdom and the United States on social indicators (e.g. youth involvement in education or employment) and health indicators (e.g. life expectancy and infant mortality rates). In particular, Hong Kong’s infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world. Both of these strongly indicate good quality healthcare and favorable social conditions in Hong Kong. Other factors that have been hypothesized as contributing to health advantages include Hong Kong’s geographical location, with a subtropical climate that does not give rise to frequent extreme weather, and a public healthcare system that does not deny people adequate healthcare due to lack of means.

However, with a higher life expectancy rate comes a higher number of older people who need to be cared for. That, in turn, puts more strain on Hong Kong’s medical services.

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Doctors and nurses have been leaving in droves for greener pastures, and according to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government reports, the city can expect a shortfall of 1,610 doctors and 1,600 nurses by 2030. The reason cited by various experts has been the stressful nature of their work in Hong Kong, and better working conditions and wages overseas.

Hong Kong’s per capita doctor ratio lags behind other advanced economies. The city has a ratio of two doctors per 1,000 people, far below the ratio of Singapore (2.5), Japan (2.5), the United States (2.6), the United Kingdom (3.0) and Australia (3.8).

The shortage of doctors is particularly evident in the public healthcare sector. According to the Healthcare Manpower Projection 2020 report, there was a shortfall of 660 doctors and 49 specialists and trainee specialists in the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health. Those shortages are projected to reach 800 and 50 in 2030, respectively.

More recently, the 2023-24 fiscal year saw the departure of 281 doctors, 1,821 nurses, and 513 allied health professionals from public hospitals. While these numbers represent a slight improvement from the previous year’s peak – with the number of nurses leaving falling from 10.9 percent to 9.5 percent and the doctor attrition rate dropping to 6.1 percent – they remain significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The situation is even worse in physiotherapy; the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association has revealed that 26 percent of practitioners expect to leave the profession within the next five years.

In his recent Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled plans to alleviate these problems, notably through improved training facilities for doctors, nurses and allied medical staff at a third medical school slated for the Northern Metropolis at Ngau Tam Mei, near Yuen Long.

The plan is ambitious. A new hospital next to the proposed medical school and accommodation will form part of a “university town” covering 80 hectares, which will also house high-tech universities drawing in thousands of students, not only from Hong Kong but also from the Chinese mainland, particularly Shenzhen and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as from other parts of Asia and the rest of the world. A recruitment drive will also be launched to draw in students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries.

These plans to ease the shortage of medical professionals look promising. However, they will take time to materialize, and in the meantime, treatment waiting times are as long as four hours, while patients may have to wait up to five years for specialist procedures, such as hip replacements or eye cataracts.

To alleviate the workforce problem, Lee said the government would strengthen two way training and exchange of healthcare talent between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland while continuing to take forward the Hospital Authority’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Visiting Programme.

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To alleviate staffing problems, especially in the field of dentistry, Lee said the government will introduce amendment bills to the Dentists Registration Ordinance and the Nurses Registration Ordinance to provide new pathways for admission of qualified nonlocally trained dentists and nurses to serve in specified institutions, under the premise that professional standards and patient welfare are maintained. The government will also gradually increase the number of training places for ancillary dental workers and provide tuition sponsorship to attract more people to join the industry.

The government will also explore amending the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance to provide new pathways for admitting qualified nonlocally trained supplementary medical professionals to serve in the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health.

Lee’s latest policy blueprint covered a variety of medical issues to cope with the challenges brought about by an aging population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. While elderly persons with care needs require assistance, most older people are healthy and energetic. He noted that the growing elderly population was emerging as a leading consumer group, creating considerable demand for products and services such as medical and healthcare, leisure and recreation, and home and personal care.

The author is a former chief information officer, PR and media consultant, and a veteran journalist.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.