Alexis Tam – Policy Address | Portuguese education and medical professionals dominate lawmakers’ questions

Alexis Tam (center)

The region’s poor medical services and university education, especially Portuguese-language teaching, were widely discussed during Alexis Tam’s second day at the Legislative Assembly (AL) where he presented the Policy Address for 2017.

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho took the opportunity of having the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture at the AL on Friday to criticize Macau’s healthcare system. “How much do you know about the people’s bitterness? [People] need to sell their houses to get access to medical services,” said Coutinho, adding that “the biggest problem with Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário (CHCSJ) is management.”

He noted that Macau has needed 18 specialists for the past 10 years, but so far, the city has only trained one.

“You really have a problem: your management is poor,” accused Coutinho. Earlier, CHCSJ was accredited by the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS) in recognition of CHCSJ’s international standardized medical technologies and health care services.

However, the lawmaker does not consider this award as significant because it was not granted by the Australian government.

Tam disagreed with Coutinho. He emphasized that the recognition was granted by the ACHS, which is a non-profit organization. Tam claims that Macau spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to get that accreditation.

“[What you said] is murdering all the efforts that were spent by all [my] colleagues from CHCSJ,” said Tam. “You said that our management has problems, […] what you said is completely false.”

The secretary reminded attendees again that the hospital passed all criteria listed by ACHS.

“There are things that [we] do not need to pay for them,” said Coutinho, in reply to Tam. “The public’s eyes are crystal clear,” he added, indicating that the public will know the effectiveness of local medical services, but not through an international recognition of the city’s healthcare quality.

“When you are working, you need to be more devoted and subjective,” the lawmaker added.

Another topic which has long been discussed in Macau is the training of Portuguese-speaking students.

Angela Leong, Gabriel Tong, Lau Veng Seng and Coutinho all voiced their concerns about this issue.

Lau recommends the city enhances education in Portuguese, and also in Chinese teaching in Portuguese-speaking countries, in order to attract native Portuguese-speakers to build their working careers in Macau.

Leong also suggested the local government sends Chinese teachers abroad to teach Chinese in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Tam, in reply to the aforementioned lawmakers, agreed that Macau should not only promote Portuguese but Chinese as well outside the territory. He noted that the local government is supporting the University of Macau (UM) and the Macao Polytechnic Institute in organizing Chinese courses. He also revealed that UM will establish a Chinese-Portuguese speaking human resources training centre. “Macau is a very good place, and [has] good education,” said Tam, adding “[it] attracts many students from Portuguese-speaking countries to study here.”

Tam praised Leong’s suggestions about sending Chinese teachers abroad to teach Chinese.

He claims that the local government “has clear goals, and will put more resources into Portuguese education.” The secretary also vowed to train more Chinese-Portuguese translators. However, Tam’s answers did not please Coutinho.

“[It has been 17 years], and only now do you know we need translators?” asked Coutinho, adding that “these things should have been there already.”

“You have done many things, [many of them] are mere shows, and many of them are impractical things,” criticized Coutinho.

Leong Lai, director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) replied to more questions on the aforementioned topic, saying that there are more parents starting to consider Portuguese as a useful course and that more schools have applied to DSEJ to open Portuguese courses.  Julie Zhu

Chui Sai Cheong suggests demolishing school

Chui Sai Cheong has suggested to Alexis Tam that the government should move the Escola Secundaria Luso-Chinesa de Luis Gonzaga Gomes in order to allocate that land for a second phase of Hotel Estoril’s development. Chui said that he has discussed the matter with many local professional groups, and that some of them have suggested the same solution. “Personally, I agree with these friends’ idea. I hope the secretary can bring it [the idea] back to do some research,” said Chui. However, Chui’s suggestion was immediately refused by Tam. “I can reply to you right now: we will not do it,” said Tam, adding “that school is a relic, and it is protected.”

Gov’t studies charging fees in public healthcare services

Last Thursday, Alexis Tam revealed that the local government would conduct research on Macau’s healthcare system. On Friday, Tam mentioned that this will include studies about whether Macau’s public hospitals will start charging fees to all of their patients.

Tam said that the local government has already engaged a Hong Kong organization to conduct research on the medical care system. “We must do it like this, […] we are doing what we should do,” said Tam.

On Friday’s AL meeting, several lawmakers raised questions on healthcare-related topics. Lawmakers Angela Leong, Au Kam San and Fong Chi Keong, among others, discussed topics such as the continuously increasing budgets of hospitals.

Some of the lawmakers worry that Macau’s public healthcare services will expand uninterruptedly, which will lead to greater government expenditure.

Tam pledges that the government will not keep expanding Macau’s social welfare system. “Actually, we are doing it [providing free public healthcare services] not because we want to do it,” explained Tam.

However, he noted that offering free public healthcare to residents has been regulated since Macau was under the Portuguese administration, and “according to the Basic Law […], Macau government must comply with the law which says that the government must maintain the social welfare, […] we can not exploit our residents’ rights, I hope everyone understands.”