Cotai’s new Islands Healthcare Complex will have an equipment budget of running into the billions of patacas, says Dr Lei Wai Seng, the hospital’s preparatory office coordinator
Speaking to TDM, Dr Lei said “The budget for investment in hardware and equipment is 13 billion patacas. The future operating budget will be calculated according to the volume of services, but we will definitely develop this hospital according to the principle of reasonable and economical prices”.
The hospital also aims to recruit 200 staff members in October, Dr Lei said, with doctors, nurses and administrative staff among the first recruits.
Last month, the government said it needed to recruit 400 health workers for phase one of the complex’s operations, which are set to kick off by the end of the year. Staff at the public-private partnership hospital will be employed under labour laws for the private sector.
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On the subject of when the hospital would be fully operational, Lei was noncommittal.
“We have to evaluate the development of this new hospital and the public demand for services,” he said.
“In general, a complex hospital should take at least five years from the trial operation phase to the full-service phase. Ten years? You have to look at future development needs.”
Phase one of the Islands Island Healthcare Complex has been completed and includes a general hospital, nursing college, and laboratory. It’s expected to open its doors to patients by December.
Construction of phase two, a 15-storey rehabilitation hospital, has yet to begin.
