The government has signed an agreement with the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) for the management and operation of the Islands Medical Center.
The signing ceremony occurred last Saturday in the presence of the Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng.
The document is considered very important by members of the third standing committee of the Legislative Assembly, which is conducting a detailed analysis of the bill that will establish the legal grounds for the operation of the medical facility.
Last week, the lawmakers complained of there being too many questions over the operation of the medical facility largely because there was not yet a contract signed between the government and the management entity (PUMCH) and there was no available information about the document’s contents.
According to a statement from the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the agreement states the local government will initiate long-term cooperation with the PUMCH, for health care services, medical education, scientific studies and transformation of the respective results and the health industry (big-health industry).
The same office also said that after the Islands Medical Center becomes operational, the PUMCH will manage the facility. It added the reputation, techniques, and management team of PUMCH has assured the local government that such a medical facility will reach “a regional to national level.”
Before the signing of the agreement, the Macau Hospital Strategic Development Committee held its first plenary meeting of 2023, chaired by Zhao Yupei, honorary president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The meeting addressed matters noted by the lawmakers of the Third Standing Committee of the AL, including clarification of the responsibilities and competencies of all parties involved.
It was also decided the committee should meet quarterly to discuss issues about the preparatory works for the start of operations of the medical facility, the managerial regime currently being examined and the legal grounds for the facility’s operation.
