The first batch of non-local trained dentists have started to serve in the Department of Health’s dental clinics. The government will continue to recruit at home and abroad throughout the year to fill other vacancies.
The three non-local trained dentists who have been hired have started working in the Dental Street clinic last month, earning a monthly income of $71,000. Among them, Lai Songji has 34 years of clinical experience and has practiced in Liverpool, England and Australia. He returned to Hong Kong last year.
Department of Health dentist Dr. Lai Song-kee said: “It has always been my wish to serve Hong Kong. It is an honor to contribute to the community. The equipment in the clinic here is very complete. The instruments and tools I used abroad are very similar, so it is easy to adapt.”
The other two recruits are both Hong Kong people. They are Hong Huiyi, who graduated from West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University and has four years of clinical experience; Zhang Jundang studied for a doctorate in oral restoration at Peking University and has nearly eight years of clinical experience.
The Department of Health launched a global recruitment in July last year, contacting medical schools at home and abroad for recruitment. By September, it received 90 applications. After screening, more than 50 people were arranged to come to Hong Kong for interviews. Finally, 12 employment letters were issued.
Department of Health Dental Consultant (Operation) Li Xiaowen said: “One of the needs is to assess their ability to read and express medical records in English. Of course, communicating with patients in Cantonese is very necessary. In daily life, we need to understand their conditions and express the needs of medical procedures. Therefore, part of the assessment is in Cantonese to assess the applicants’ language and communication skills.”
The Legislative Council passed the amendment last year, which allows overseas dentists who meet certain conditions, including working in designated institutions for five years, to be fully or partially exempted from the examination to practice in Hong Kong, in order to solve the problem of insufficient dental staff.
The chief consultant of the dental service of the Department of Health, Dr. Hui Mei-yin, said: “There are currently 80 vacancies. Even if there are more than 10 vacancies temporarily, three of them have already arrived, and the remaining dentists will not be enough to offset so many positions, so we recruit any qualified dentists throughout the year.”
Limited registered dentists can apply for formal registration after practicing in Hong Kong for five years. When asked whether they are worried that they will switch to the private market in the future, the department responded like this.
Li Xiaowen pointed out: “In fact, whether they choose to serve here or work in other private medical institutions, I think it is beneficial to us and to Hong Kong.”
As for the second batch of nine dentists from the Mainland, the United Kingdom, South Africa and other places, they will be put into service as early as the second quarter.
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