The Hospital Authority on Monday said waiting times for a non-urgent gastroscopy have been reduced at the Central Government Aided Emergency Hospital in Lok Ma Chau thanks to the hiring of non-locally trained doctors.

The hospital has cut the average wait from over a year to just two to three months, the authority said.

"We're talking about non-urgent cases, such as those with unclear symptoms that don't seem very alarming. These patients have been waiting a long time, often over a year," said Dr Sin Ngai-chuen, clinical stream coordinator of the authority's New Territories East cluster.

"Those who voluntarily come here have seen their waiting time significantly reduced, from a year to just two or three months."

Sin said that as of late last month, nearly 5,500 patients had received endoscopy procedures at the hospital.

He expressed optimism that recruiting more international specialists would further alleviate staff shortages in Hong Kong’s public healthcare system.

Dr Liang Chongfen from the mainland said he had been worried about having to use English in clinical settings, but his concerns were unfounded.

"Since I was in the mainland, I only used English during my studies. After graduation, I would only use English when reading articles, but didn't really use it at work. So when I came here, my biggest concern was whether my English would be up to standard. However, it turned out fine," he said.

"I can actually speak Cantonese as well since I am from Foshan. Most Hong Kong residents speak Cantonese, so communication isn't a problem."

According to recent HA data, 301 non-locally trained doctors are working for the authority: 234 full-time roles and 67 exchange placements.

Among full-time hires, 55 percent obtained their qualifications in the UK, while 14 percent are from the mainland.

Exchange doctors include 50 from the Greater Bay Area and Shanghai, alongside 17 from countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and the UK.