Health Secretary Defends Local Nurse Recruitment Priority Amid Graduate Job Concerns
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau has firmly rejected concerns that the Hospital Authority overlooks local nurse graduates in favor of mainland-trained nurses, presenting data showing non-locally trained nurses make up only 0.6 percent of public healthcare staff . During a press conference on policy initiatives, Lo stressed that the HA and Department of Health consistently prioritize local graduates in their recruitment processes . He acknowledged that some local nurse graduates face difficulties finding positions in the public sector, but attributed this partly to graduates exploring alternative career options .
Key Points
- Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau stated that local graduates are the first priority for HA and DH recruitment, with only 0.6% of 30,000 public nurses being non-locally trained
- HA has zero non-locally trained psychiatric nurses among its psychiatric nursing workforce, directly contradicting claims of mainland preference
- Annual nurse training capacity stands at approximately 5,000 students, while HA hired 3,111 nurses for fiscal year 2025-26
- Lo emphasized that nurse graduates pursue diverse careers in insurance firms, pharmaceutical companies, and civil service rather than solely public healthcare
- The Secretary noted HA has no mechanism to employ every graduate, as graduates are not obligated to choose public healthcare as their sole employer
Why It Matters
This clarification addresses growing public concern about local graduate employment prospects in healthcare, reinforcing the government's commitment to developing local talent while maintaining transparency about workforce composition . As Hong Kong continues to expand medical training programs, balancing graduate expectations with public sector capacity remains a critical policy challenge .
This clarification addresses growing public concern about local graduate employment prospects in healthcare, reinforcing the government's commitment to developing local talent while maintaining transparency about workforce composition . As Hong Kong continues to expand medical training programs, balancing graduate expectations with public sector capacity remains a critical policy challenge .