Hong Kong to Allocate More Funds for Training of Medical Professionals, Other Sectoral Workers

The Hong Kong government will be allocating more funds to enhance the training of medical professionals and enrich the region's local talent pool.

The proposal was made by Financial Secretary Paul Chan during his 2022-23 Budget speech on Feb. 23, according to an online government news platform on the same day.

Chan said he plans to slowly increase recurrent allocation for enhancing medical professionals' training of up to HK$400 million a year as needed beginning in the 2023-24 school year onwards.

Chan will also allocate HK$10 billion more for the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Polytechnic University to upgrade and increase their health care teaching facilities. This is to allow the universities to cope with around 900 additional health care training places.

The finance chief likewise intends to enrich the talent pools of other sectors, with HK$100 million to be allocated to the Cantonese Opera Development Fund for the training of Cantonese opera practitioners. Around HK$37 million will be allocated over the next six years for the professional training of conservators under the Leisure & Cultural Services Department and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, as well as HK$1 billion to the Construction Industry Council for manpower training, among many others.