Medical Council to set time frame for sorting complaints under proposed shake-up

Hong Kong authorities have proposed requiring the Medical Council to set a time frame for handling complaints, following a public backlash over a 15-year delay to an inquiry into an alleged medical blunder that left a child permanently disabled.The Health Bureau on Friday also proposed reforming the composition of the watchdog, bringing in doctors with more diverse backgrounds and qualifications, and increasing the proportion of lay members, who only accounted for eight of the 32-strong body.“The government aims to reform the Medical Council to ensure the highest standard of professional excellence, protect public health and strengthen the trust between doctors and patients, aligning with Hong Kong’s goal of becoming an international hub for medical innovation,” Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said.He said a bill would be presented to the Legislative Council in the first half of the year.The preliminary proposals were presented a day after the ombudsman slammed the council for its excessively lengthy complaint-handling process, with 11 cases stuck in limbo for more than 10 years.Among them was the case against Dr Sit Sou-chi, a paediatrician accused of a medical blunder that left a boy permanently disabled in 2009.