Retired Nurse Fires Back at Executive Council Member Over 'Union Impersonator' Remark
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A retired psychiatric nurse in Hong Kong has strongly condemned Executive Council member Horace Cheung for suggesting he was a "union operative" impersonating a caller during a radio programme about mainland nurses taking local jobs. Mr Kwok, who had contacted Chief Executive John Lee to express concern about his daughter's graduate unemployment, clarified he is not a union member and demanded an apology. The dispute has highlighted growing tension between official employment figures and frontline nurses' lived experiences.
Key Points
- Executive Council member Horace Cheung (張宇人) claimed a radio caller questioning mainland nurse imports was "probably a union impersonating someone," triggering backlash
- Retired nurse Mr Kwok (郭先生), who called Chief Executive John Lee during a radio "phone-in" programme, stated he is a "patriotic, deep-blue and deep-red" citizen and not a union member or official
- Kwok's daughter, a psychiatric nurse graduate, received only one brief Zoom interview from the Hospital Authority before her application went silent; NGOs require prior work experience
- The Hospital Authority reported hiring 99% of local nursing graduates, but Kwok cited 200+ limited-registration nurses in 2025-2026 as evidence of the official-realities gap
- Hospital Authority officials confirmed 2,200 offer letters issued from 3,000 first-round applications out of approximately 5,000 annual graduates
Why It Matters
The public dispute exposes a credibility gap between the government's optimistic hiring statistics and the daily struggles faced by nursing graduates and their families. As Hong Kong continues importing mainland medical professionals, this incident signals rising frustration among local healthcare workers who feel their concerns are being dismissed or delegitimized by senior officials. This could impact morale and public trust in healthcare policy as the government prepares its upcoming Policy Address .
The public dispute exposes a credibility gap between the government's optimistic hiring statistics and the daily struggles faced by nursing graduates and their families. As Hong Kong continues importing mainland medical professionals, this incident signals rising frustration among local healthcare workers who feel their concerns are being dismissed or delegitimized by senior officials. This could impact morale and public trust in healthcare policy as the government prepares its upcoming Policy Address .