Qualifications exemption explained

August 7, 2020

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan:
Regarding the national team of medical laboratory technologists coming to Hong Kong, first of all they are accredited or they are a team accredited by the National Health Commission (NHC). So, the exemption will be made by the Secretary for Food & Health under section 29 (1A) of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap 359). And as I've said earlier, this team is accredited by the NHC and also they are an experienced group of people who have done tests of COVID-19 in laboratories in the Mainland. So, these specified persons are members of the national accredited laboratory testing personnel arranged by the NHC to conduct specified tests in Hong Kong for the Government and also within a specified period, which is two months.

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

A Mainland medical laboratory team, which will help run the universal community COVID-19 testing programme, will be able to operate in Hong Kong under a qualifications exemption.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan made the statement at a press conference today.

She said: “The exemption will be made by the Secretary for Food & Health under section 29 (1A) of the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap 359).”

Prof Chan pointed out that members of the team are accredited by the National Health Commission (NHC).

“Also they are an experienced group of people who have done tests of COVID-19 in laboratories in the Mainland.

“So, these specified persons are members of the national accredited laboratory testing personnel arranged by the NHC to conduct specified tests in Hong Kong for the Government and also within a specified period, which is two months.”