Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A TOTAL of 37 doctors from Hong Kong acquired the title of senior professionals, equivalent to that of a professor in a medical college, from Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau on Thursday.

It marked the first time that Shenzhen has directly awarded the senior professional title to Hong Kong doctors working in the city.

On the Chinese mainland, a professional title is a representation of the academic and technical competence and expertise of talents in various fields. A chief physician is currently the highest rank within doctors’ professional titles. Previously, it remained a hurdle for Hong Kong and Macao medical professionals to obtain professional titles after practicing on the mainland.

To address the issue, the city’s human resources and social security bureau has teamed up with the health commission to formulate the standards and conditions for the recognition of Hong Kong medical professionals, with the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) as a testing ground.

According to a government document, Shenzhen would award senior professional titles to consultants who have rich clinical practice experience, been registered as specialists in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and engaged in clinical diagnosis and treatment for at least five years, and worked in HKU-SZH for at least three years.

Meanwhile, the city has set up a special review committee for senior professional titles in the health care sector to review the qualifications of Hong Kong doctors.

“Hong Kong is adjacent to Shenzhen, but the two cities have different evaluation systems for health care professionals. Now that the ‘hurdle’ has been surmounted, we hope to better serve patients in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” said Lo Chung-mau, chief executive of HKU-SZH.   (Continued on P4)