The Medical Association proposed an option to standardise the period of required internship to be exempted in various public health authorities during the Food & Health Bureau's meeting yesterday with the major stakeholders of medical groups.

Issuing a statement today, the Government noted that at the meeting, the association's representative proposed exempting non-locally trained doctors, who work either in the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health or the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities, from internship if they have engaged in clinical work for 18 months upon passing the Licensing Examination.

The attendees welcomed the option to standardise the period of required internship to be exempted in various public health authorities.

However, some attendees had reservations over the definition of 'clinical work' which excludes services other than clinical work in public hospitals, such as services in the Department of Health as well as teaching and scientific research work in the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities.

The attendees also held different views on the method of calculating the duration of clinical work.

Some also indicated that they need to better understand the details of the option for further discussion and consideration.

Consensus on the relevant details had not been reached at the meeting.

The Government hopes the medical sector will continue to discuss different options in a rational way and that the Medical Council will come up with a positive decision with no discrimination for relaxation of internship requirements at its meeting to be held next month.

  
Representatives from the Medical Council, the Academy of Medicine, the Medical Association, the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority attended the meeting yesterday.