The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council passed the Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 2023 in its third reading on the 17th, opening up new avenues for qualified non local trained nurses to work in Hong Kong and easing the service pressure on public hospitals. According to the draft regulation, capable nurses can enter Hong Kong through various channels such as limited registration, special registration, and temporary registration. On the same day, the Director of the Medical and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Lu Chongmao, stated that the government fully respects the relevant professional regulatory agencies in handling various matters related to the profession in accordance with the law. On the premise of not damaging the employment of locally trained nurses, non locally trained nurses will be introduced, which will alleviate the shortage of nurses in the public healthcare system and social welfare sector, and ensure the maintenance of professional standards to take care of the well-being of the public. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority issued a statement welcoming it on the same day. A spokesperson for the Hospital Authority stated that this will help the Authority expand its sources of nursing staff to maintain the sustainable development of public healthcare. The Hospital Authority is planning to travel to different countries and regions to promote this new policy and introduce development opportunities in public hospitals in Hong Kong, in order to attract qualified non local trained nurses to work in Hong Kong. The Hospital Authority will have dedicated personnel to provide one-stop support and consultation services for potential applicants, including providing employment information, following up on inquiries, and processing related applications. (New Society)