Legco discussions adjourned until next week owing to lack of lawmakers

A government bill to reform Hong Kong's doctors' watchdog was stalled by the lack of lawmakers in the Legislative Council yesterday amid strong opposition from medical practitioners.

The legislature will continue its second reading on the Medical Registration Bill - which would allow the city's chief executive to appoint more members to the Medical Council - next Wednesday.

Some 300 people joined a sit-in organised by several doctors' groups outside Legco yesterday, while lawmakers who supported them said they would make good use of the additional time to persuade the government to drop controversial changes. The sit-in also attracted support from other professionals including the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

At the centre of the debate is a plan to turn two appointed seats on the body into elected seats to be voted for by specialist training school the Academy of Medicine.

Doctors said the two seats should be open for election by all doctors instead of a "small circle" of people, and expressed worries the council would be dominated by government supporters.

"I did not plan to adjourn the Legco meeting. I was just trying to call more lawmakers back to the meeting to listen to our views," said lawmaker for the medical sector Dr Leung Ka-lau, who called for a quorum - the minimum number of lawmakers that must be present for decisions to be taken - several times throughout the meeting which eventually led to the adjournment at around 6.30pm with still one lawmaker short.

"But it may not be a bad thing as it will buy more time for society to discuss the amendments."

Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man expressed disappointment with the adjournment and fears the bill may not be passed before the end of this Legco session two weeks on.

Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing also said he regretted the adjournment, adding that lawmakers had rung the quorum bell 15 times in seven hours and 31 /2 hours that could have been used for discussion were wasted.

Leung criticised the government for rushing ahead with the proposal and urged officials to make use of the time ahead to rearrange the agenda and place uncontroversial items ahead of this bill.

At present, 14 of the council's 28 members are appointed by the chief executive. Of the 14, seven are elected by the city's largest doctors' group - the Medical Association - and seven are elected by registered doctors.

According to the government proposal, four additional lay members will be appointed by the government, making a total of eight laypeople, expanding the total membership to 32.

The government has suggested changing two of the appointed seats into elected seats to be voted on by the academy, which consists of 50 per cent of the city's doctors.

A spokesman for the academy said it supported the government plan and that the school had a unique role in the council to ensure the quality and standard of doctors.

The organisers of yesterday's protest, including the Medical Association, Doctors Union, Public Doctors' Association and Médecins Inspirés, said the two seats should be open for "direct election" by all doctors. They expressed worries the council would be dominated by government supporters who could compromise its professional autonomy.