The three universities in Hong Kong applying to set up the city’s third medical school have “very different” financial proposals, the health minister has said, adding authorities are studying how sustainable these plans are.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said on Friday that a dedicated task group had already studied the proposals submitted by the three universities, including curriculum as well as staff and student recruitment plans, with capital requirements and financial sustainability still under review.

He added the financial plans put forth by Baptist University, Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology were very different.

“One of those proposals’ financial implication is rather low. But on one hand, there is a proposal which is much more costly,” he said.

For instance, some proposals required a huge demand for funding, which might require adjustments to the plans as authorities had questions on whether it was worth investing so much under current conditions, he said.

He emphasised that if the financial strategy was not sustainable, it could negatively impact the development of the medical school.

The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau would provide advice on the financial aspects of the plan, Lo added.