Press Releases

SHWF meets dentistry profession on registration amendments

        The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, today (January 18) met representatives of major stakeholder groups from the dentistry profession to exchange views on amendments to the Dental Registration Ordinance (DRO).

 

        Dr Chow had a fruitful and constructive dialogue with the representatives on the effectiveness of the current legislation in ensuring the provision of quality dental care service to the community.  Dr Chow was particularly interested in possible amendments to the ordinance that could bring significant and direct benefits to the profession and the community.

 

        Participants of the meeting considered the setting up of a statute-based Specialist Register a priority area to be tackled in the amendment exercise, and were supportive of the administration's proposed approach to focus on such amendments in 2005.

 

        "The amendments will provide the necessary legal backing for the granting of specialist title by the Dental Council of Hong Kong. They can provide clarity to the system and hence better protection to customers," Dr Chow said.

 

        The Dental Council of Hong Kong currently adopts an administrative system to grant permission for the use of specialist titles to registered dentists who have met the minimum level of training and experience requirements.  The existing system is not adequate in providing clarity and certainty on the requirements and procedures for specialist registration.

 

        Views were also expressed at the meeting that the administration should conduct a major revamp of the DRO in due course despite the complexity of the exercise and the time required.

 

        The DRO provides for the registration of the dentists and regulation of their practice in Hong Kong.  The Dental Council of Hong Kong is the statutory body set up by virtue of the ordinance to execute its relevant provisions.

 

Ends/Tuesday, January 18, 2005

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