Health Bureau (SSM) Director Lei Chin Ion acknowledged yesterday that demand for medical services in Macau has increased to the point that it is higher than the city’s population growth, pledging that the bureau would continue to keep up with demand for medical services.
Lei made the statement on the sidelines of a meeting at Macau Tower.
He said the bureau would keep on hiring enough medical personnel and acquire new medical equipment to meet the growing demand.
Lei also said the bureau would continue to prioritise the needs of patients’ treatment.
The meeting was to celebrate Macau’s 10th anniversary of becoming a “Healthy City”.
“The demand for medical services has been growing really quickly and we have been increasing the number of our staff based on that,” said Lei. “But there are instances where patients seek medical services unreasonably… so we prioritise cases that are the most urgent, especially those in the emergency department.”
Lei also said with the construction of the new healthcare complex in Cotai, the ratio of hospital beds per person would be increased since 800 new beds will be provided.
According to a statement released by the bureau yesterday, the number of hospital beds in Macau rose 30 percent in the last five years to about 1,600. It added that the ratio of the number of beds per 1,000 people increased from 2.5 in 2009 to 2.7 last year, and with the construction of the Cotai healthcare complex, the ratio will be increased to 3.9 per 1,000 people.
Meanwhile, Shin Young-soo, director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office, praised Macau for its work on promoting healthy lifestyles among its citizens. (macaunews/macaupost)
