Che Sai Wang
The government should enforce regular and standardized medical exams for all civil servants to protect their health and, consequently, the services they provide the public, Lawmaker Che Sai Wang has said in a written inquiry.
Che is linked with the Macau Civil Servants’ Association (ATFPM).
Che recalled that back in 2007, the government created the medical examination center to safeguard the physical and mental health of civil servants.
But the workers feel that booking an appointment takes too long and does not fit their work schedules, said Che.
The lawmaker has called on the government to simplify the process so it is more convenient for civil servants to schedule medical appointments and exams to “ease their heavy workload burden.”
Che fears the current system’s difficulties are causing many workers to forsake timely medical checkups which can, in time, cause problems in disease prevention and control, especially the early stages of severe illnesses.
He also noted many civil servants are aging, which will make the problem even more complex in the future if it is not tackled now.
According to Che, many workers have already missed their annual checkup for 2022 and could not book appointments in 2023, with the government’s human resources department claiming there is a long wait time.
The same lawmakers have called for the government to allow workers affected by long wait times to be specially authorized to obtain checkups in other hospitals and clinics (both public and private), with the public services to reimburse the expense.
