Hong Kong seeks prescription for nursing shortage

The city faces a shortfall of over 8,000 nurses.

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Hong Kong should offer a more attractive compensation package to nurses amidst stiff global competition for healthcare professionals, many of whom are enticed to work in countries that offer better pay and a lighter workload.

Simply standing by is not an option, especially when the region is facing a persistent shortage of nurses, Hong Kong Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau told Healthcare Asia.

“Despite increasing nursing training places from about 2,900 in 2017/2018 to 4,500 in 2023/2024, we still face a shortfall of over 8,000 nurses,” Lo said. “We need to be realistic and face the keen global competition head-on.”

Factors behind shortage

This shortage is worsened by nurses seeking better opportunities outside Hong Kong amidst high workloads and burnout, said Shin Thant Aung, director at YCP's Thailand office.

“For example, nurses from Indonesia and India are trying to work in Malaysia, and Malaysian nurses in Singapore or Hong Kong,” he said. “Similarly, Hong Kong nurses are aiming to work in the US, UK, or Australia.”

As of March this year, the monthly salary of registered nurses in Hong Kong ranges from $36,570 to $58,843, according to the Hospital Authority (HA).