Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says online medical consultations can play a role in providing health services – but that members of the public need to be sure of the doctor's credentials.

His comment came after the Consumer Council released a report on such services, urging service providers to beef up transparency and the government to educate the public on how to use virtual consultations.

Speaking on a radio programme, Lo said people should not simply get a diagnosis through online consultations and that the practice of doctors handing out prescriptions without seeing a patient in person is very dangerous.

"I would like to remind our citizens that when they have a health issue and want to seek healthcare advice, they should ensure that whether they see the doctor in person, or via electronic media, they have to ensure that the person concerned is a qualified registered practitioner, whether it's a Western medicine doctor or a Chinese medicine practitioner," he said after attending the programme.

Hong Kong's regulations on telehealth services, Lo added, are sufficient as medical bodies and councils have issued or will issue guidelines to their members on the practice of medicine online to safeguard patients and service quality.

He also said the working group on the new medical school has completed its second round of meetings with three universities interested in hosting the school.

Baptist University, Polytechnic University and the University of Science and Technology have submitted proposals for the new medical school.

Lo said the funding and financial arrangements proposed by the three institutions vary significantly, and authorities will make a final decision after assessing the proposals and finding one that best suits Hong Kong's needs.