Staff of the Hospital Authority would find it unacceptable to be mandated to swear allegiance to the Hong Kong government and pledge to uphold the Basic Law, said the Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association and the Government Doctors’ Association.

Under the draft national security legislation, anyone who runs in elections or assumes public office is required to sign documents to confirm or take an oath to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong government. Executive councilor Ronny Tong recently suggested that the new rules should also cover employees of statutory bodies such as the Hospital Authority.


Joyce Lee, chairperson of the Government Doctors Association, said that doctors are "first and foremost human beings," and that should come before wearing other hats as doctors, citizens, and civil servants. Any identity that is in conflict with their humanity would be unacceptable, she asserted.


Lee, who was re-elected as chairperson on Saturday, said as human beings, doctors must speak the truth and have a clear conscience. “Secondly, we must maintain professional autonomy and critical thinking,” she continued.


Doctors should also hold on to their identity as citizens and speak out against injustice, while putting their civil servant identity to the last. “A lot of people hold different titles. But no matter how many identities you hold, you need to be a human being first and foremost and speak according to your conscience.”


The provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also apply in Hong Kong, as stated in Article 39 of the Basic Law. “Principal officials under the accountability system should answer to the citizens,” Lee reminded. “Government officials should be servants of the 7 million citizens, not slaves of a few.”

Arisina Ma, who was re-elected as the president of the Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association, said doctors vow to protect the well-being of patients and safeguard professional ethics. “Adding another oath which puts the government’s interests before the needs of patients is unacceptable.”

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