Health chief warns overstated claims of job shortages could lead to fewer new nurses
Por Matthew Cheng — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals Hong Kong Health & Environment Health chief warns overstated claims of job shortages could lead to fewer new nurses
Lo Chung-mau says exaggerated claims of graduate unemployment could discourage new blood from entering nursing sector at city’s expense
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Matthew Cheng Published: 2:58pm, 1 Oct 2026 Updated: 3:51pm, 1 Oct 2026
Hong Kong’s health minister has warned that the city will need to “bear the consequences” of exaggerating concerns over the employment prospects of nurses, as such remarks could deter new blood from joining the profession.
“I do not want recent comments, such as claims that ‘[nursing] graduation equals unemployment’, to dampen the interest of our younger generation in joining the nursing profession,” Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Thursday.
“Training nurses takes time, and [the number of nurses] cannot be increased overnight … if certain inaccurate statements affect our recruitment next year or in the period ahead, we will have to bear the negative consequences.”
Lo’s remarks followed a heated debate over the employment prospects of nurses in the city.
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