In a bid to meet the increasing demand for specialist services from Macao’s rapidly ageing society, the Health Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials SSM) is developing a new geriatric programme for health workers, Ponto Final reports.
The six-year training programme will reportedly cover geriatric medicine as well as holistic care for the unique psychological and social needs of senior citizens.
The Catholic charity Caritas recently warned of a dire shortage of people qualified to work with the elderly in Macao. University of Macau researchers, meanwhile, have said that more nursing homes and healthcare workers are required.
The SSM confirmed it was “actively developing” specialist services and launching “several measures” for the elderly, who currently make up 40 percent of patients using Macao’s public hospitals, according to Ponto Final.
[See more: Macao’s aging population is a demographic time bomb, researchers warn]
SSM director Alvis Lo said measures included reinforcing medical support for Macao’s 14 subsided nursing homes and offering more remote medical consultations.
More hospital beds are also being made available through new health centres in Praia do Manduco and Seac Pai Van, the Public Health Specialist Building and the Ká-Hó rehabilitation hospital, Lo noted.
On top of those facilities, the Macao Union Hospital’s rehabilitation facilities are set to add another 300 beds to the city’s inventory when they open in 2026, Ponto Final says.
The number of elderly in Macao is increasing rapidly, while the birthrate has plummeted, leaving roughly one dependent elderly person for every four working adults in the SAR.
