A rosy view of the health sector

“We have achieved all these successes in 100 days. I feel proud”, Alexis Tam

During the second half of the debate especially, lawmakers posed several questions about the health system in Macau, in spite of the secretary Alexis Tam not having discussed health issues much during the first day of the debate, which concludes today.
Chang Meng Kam criticized the recruitment process for health professionals, which can take up to 19 months. The lawmaker inquired about the 500 medical staff currently going through the recruitment process, and inquired as to how many of them are doctors. He also said that over 1,000 medical staff are needed for the future Taipa hospital, including 300 doctors.
Au Kam San recalled Alexis Tam’s promise of bringing with his governance “the brightest years for the health sector,” only to note that “nothing has been done up to now.”
The secretary disagreed with the remarks, giving a rosy view of the health sector. “The local health system is quite good. We managed to reduce the waiting lists in the central hospital. With the new patient screening process, we have reduced the waiting time at the hospital by 30 percent (…) In Macau, it is very easy to access health care quickly. It is a more efficient system than the one in Hong Kong and other parts of the world,” Alexis Tam stated. He added that the government plans to enhance its cooperation with private entities in order to develop the local health system.
Replying to Chan Meng Kam, the secretary said that the process for recruiting 529 health professionals includes the hiring of 32 doctors, 14 of them specialized. Through the process, 188 nurses are also being hired. Currently, there are 970 nurses working within the public health sector.
Overall, Alexis Tam said that all of the above-mentioned “successes” were achieved in the 100 days since he took post as secretary, something that makes him feel “proud.” PB

Confusion about smoking ban

Angela Leong said that she was confused by the smoking ban rules, noting that “the gaming operators have installed smoking rooms and the regime has been reviewed.” The lawmaker said that more than one billion patacas were spent on preparing the smoking rooms, and accused the government of being unclear in its instructions. She said that the gaming operators’ investment was “a total waste,” and asked if “it is confirmed that a full smoking ban will be implemented.” Alexis Tam replied by saying that Angela Leong “has a firm stance on forbidding smoking’, which is very good for casino workers” and asked the Health Bureau director to provide more information about the anti-smoking regulations.