Hong Kong authorities have proposed replacing, rather than punishing, Medical Council members who underperform, after public outcry over a 15-year delay in an alleged medical blunder inquiry.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said the government had no plans to impose rigid deadlines for each stage of complaint handling by the quasi-judicial body, saying the requirement was “asking the impossible” and the council would “be required to” set time frames on their own.
During a televised interview on Sunday, Lo revealed an overhaul to be included in an amendment bill of the Medical Registration Ordinance, which would be presented to the Legislative Council in the first half of the year.
“We may replace certain personnel [of the Medical Council] if they fail their duty. However, for members of the Medical Council, there would not be any punishment because they are not paid for this role, but are simply volunteers,” Lo said.
As for civil servants who underperformed, they would be dealt with under existing mechanisms, he said.
