Cross-border emergency medical services between Guangdong and Macao are set to launch later this year, the Macau Post Daily reports.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Fire Services Bureau (CB) Commissioner Leong Iok Sam announced that five ambulances and three fire engines, now equipped with dual Guangdong-Macao licence plates, would operate under the new system.
“It is not a problem for us to pass through the checkpoints [on either side of the border],” Leong noted, adding that coordination between medical authorities will determine hospital transfers and other logistical matters.
The cross-border initiative follows a framework agreement signed last June by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to enhance government-led emergency response mechanisms. Leong said that discussions for the Guangdong-Macao service are nearly complete, with operations expected to begin at a still-to-be-determined date in 2025.
[See more: Thousands of old buildings are posing a fire risk in Macao]
Leong also highlighted the success of a recent Hong Kong-Macao pilot scheme for direct cross-border ambulance transfers. During a drill last year, the bureau successfully simulated transferring a patient from Macao’s Conde S. Januário Hospital, located in the Sé district, to Hong Kong’s Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, near Lai Chi Kok in Kowloon. Currently, three ambulances are ready for Hong Kong-Macao operations.
Leong also revealed last year’s official emergency service statistics at the briefing. In 2024, the Fire Services Bureau responded to 54,133 incidents, a 2.75 percent increase from the previous year. Most calls involved ambulance services, while only 882 were fire-related.
Leong attributed the rise in calls to minor medical issues like dizziness and headaches, while common fire causes included unattended stoves and smouldering incense.
