The city must improve working conditions and provide higher salaries to caregivers.
Hong Kong should offer more attractive salary packages to nursing staff amid fierce competition for global healthcare professionals, many of whom are attracted to work in countries with better pay and lighter workloads.
Hong Kong’s director of health, Law Chung-mou, said simply sitting on the sidelines was not an option, especially as the region faced an ongoing shortage of nursing staff.
“Although nursing training places have increased from about 2,900 in 2017/2018 to 4,500 in 2023/2024, we still face a shortage of more than 8,000 nurses,” Luo said in an emailed response to questions. “We need to be realistic and face fierce global competition head-on.”
Shin Thant Aung, director of YCP’s Thailand office, said the shortage is exacerbated as nursing staff seek better job opportunities outside Hong Kong amid high workloads and burnout.
“For example, nurses from Indonesia and India are trying to work in Malaysia, while Malaysian nurses are working in Singapore or Hong Kong,” he said. “Similarly, Hong Kong nurses aim to work in the US, UK or Australia.”
According to data from the Hospital Authority (HA), as of March this year, the monthly salary of registered nurses in Hong Kong ranged from $36,570 to $58,843.
“To compete globally, Hong Kong must improve working conditions, provide competitive salaries and build a stronger support system for nurses,” Ang added.
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council recently passed a bill allowing non-locally trained nursing staff to practice in Hong Kong without taking the local licensing examination.
Hong Kong has also stepped up its recruitment of nurses from nearby countries such as Malaysia and Macau, “provided they meet the strict professional qualifications and competency requirements set by the Hong Kong Nursing Council,” Law said.
“We have to attract the best nurses to practice,” he added.
Rathanesh Ramasundram, director of healthcare and life sciences at Frost & Sullivan, said these initiatives are expected to not only alleviate workplace stress and burnout but also bring diversity to the workforce.
“Hong Kong may become a more multicultural health care center,” she said.
He said more foreign nurses meant more competition, which could be both a concern and an opportunity for local nursing graduates.
“Local nurse practitioners may feel that job opportunities are declining or career advancement is slow,” she said. “This situation also provides opportunities for professional development by pursuing specialization and certification to remain competitive.”
However, Ramasundram said foreign nurse practitioners still face challenges such as cultural adaptation, language barriers, regulatory compliance, team integration and the need for ongoing support.
Recruiting foreign nurses may not be sustainable in the long term, she said. “Over-reliance on non-locally trained nurses may delay structural reforms in Hong Kong’s healthcare workforce planning.”
She added: “Meeting the growing demand for nurses with non-local staff will lead to higher recruitment costs and over-reliance on non-local resources.”
Ang warned that over-reliance on foreign nurses could exacerbate the drain of local talent, forcing more nurses to seek job opportunities overseas. “This is unsustainable as it would bring with it a range of difficulties, including economic and social impacts.”
“Nurses who are trained locally may feel frustrated by their own favoritism, especially if career progression or job opportunities are skewed,” Ramasundram added.
Luo said government policy prioritizes hiring locally trained nurses. “The new nursing entry pathway has been specifically designed in this spirit.”
“In order for non-local nurses to practice in Hong Kong, they must first be employed by institutions such as the Hospital Authority and Department of Health,” he said. “These institutions have the responsibility to give priority to locally trained nurses.”
He also said that the Hospital Authority has implemented an apprenticeship training program and appointed experienced nurses to supervise new nurses to help them familiarize themselves with ward procedures and the working environment.
“The Ministry of Health will also organize orientation, orientation and peer support programs,” Luo said. “With more nurses sharing the workload, local nurses can devote more time and energy to caring for patients.”
