Health Bureau condemns reports about Macau’s medical service
“Ultimately the problem for Macau is that it simply does not have the infrastructure to cater to the spectrum of residents’ health care needs.”, SCMP report
The Health Bureau (SSM) has contested a South China Morning Post report that criticized the city’s medical service. “Earlier, a report alluded that because of the lack of infrastructure and professionals, Macau’s hospitals have been sending patients to Hong Kong for treatment. Such report mislead people, and it needs to be clarified,” the statement read.
SSM has claimed that as Macau has a small population and has only a few special clinical cases, it in turn has no western medicine university. The bureau claims that by sending the patients to Hong Kong for treatment the inadequacies of Macau’s medical services are compensated for. They added that it also ensures that they obtain timely treatment,.
In 2015, 1.6 out of 1,000 patients were sent to Hong Kong, according to the official data. SSM considers that this figure “indicates that patients’ referral percentage is extremely low, and it is only a supplement to local medical services.”
The medical authority also claims that it is introducing a set of sophisticated medical services: the Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário (CSCHJ) is set to provide endobronchial ultrasonic examinations from this year. Macau is also able to provide other highly sophisticated medical treatment, such as kidney transplants and endovascular therapy, which have already been performed or will be performed on the patients.
SSM says “CHCSJ is the same with many Hong Kong governmental hospitals, it obtains the accreditation from Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS), which means the hospital’s service and management reaches international levels.”
Moreover, “local medical professionals have the ability to diagnose and treat more diseases” said the SSM.
The SCMP report published on Monday claimed that Macau residents often opt to receive medical treatment in Hong Kong, even in minor cases. “Ultimately the problem for Macau is that it simply does not have the infrastructure to cater to the spectrum of residents’ health care needs. It has very few specialists and not a single training school for Western medicine,” the report reads.
It also points out that the majority of doctors working in Macau’s hospitals are graduates from medical schools in mainland China. JZ
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I can’t agree more. Macao has a small population??? Pardon me, it is growing inch my inch. Our Cousins from the Mainland comes along to deliver their New Born. Those that are here on a daily basis to return back to the mainland at day end, unaccounted for. Just check this out with the Border Immigration.
I would love to get the Contacts for the Australian Council Healthcare Standard (ACHS) who the hell are they?
Where do they come in, what do they know that we don’t know? I lived here, The (ACHS) just comes in and awarded this accreditation to the hospital based on what grounds?
Recently, I have been in touch with a Dermatologist here at the Macao’s General Hospital (CSCHJ) whom has just arrived some months earlier, he shocked me with a totally different approach. I am not saying that he is the Greatest of all time.
Most of the doctors here has been at the hospital for donkey years.
Half are ready for retire in the coming years, with the New Hospital coming, eventually.
I would like to ask, when was the last time they went out to Seminars, Lectures, Upgrade Courses, Meetings outside both (SARs) or simply reading the Medical Journals to keep themselves in line with reality of the
outside world?
Most of the doctors here as you said, comes from the mainland are English Illiterate.
So, how can they read Medical Journals to be in touch with the latest?
This also applies to the Private Sectors of Dentists too, they are all graduates from the same University in China, so they are all more or less the same. There was this Professor at this private clinic but, he does Braces Only.
How many Braces does he attend to a month? Great, this is the first time I have heard of a Professor that does nothing else but, braces. What happens when patients need special care, something miner can lead to major.
I went to this private doctor to reline my loose Denture, he said, that I can go to A.S. Watsons and get the glue-on,
If, I said that I was stunned it would be an understatement.
I suppose he never heard of a dental lab or don’t they have one here? Very Educated Qualified Dentist.
At the General Hospital, I once visited the Dentist at (CSCHJ) or at the government clinic, I really don’t remember. He played the part of Hygienist, all in one.
He said, to me it is alright to swallow your saliva as he continued with his work, his assistant standing close-by with the suction in her hand, is that not for the saliva? He really shocked me with his expertise, I got up and walked away never to return.
By the way this individual with the suction in hand, does not appear to be a Nurse, looked more like a house hold Domestic Provider.
Did the (ACHS) stop by for a visit the dental department, I was there some years earlier? Never went back for a follow-up.
If you are in the International Level (CSCHJ)
I would like you to meet my Sister, she has been seeing your doctors for years, I would really like you to met with her, then, we are talking. We were never sent to HK, we were originally from HK.
The doctors here in Macao that attended to my Sister uncountable times never suggested that if, there is no doctors or the facilities to treat my sister, she could go find treatment outside and that the Macao Government would foot the bill in the tune of HK$1.5 million.
My Sister is in the U.K. receiving medical attention as we speak, the Operations Commences this 22nd. September, 2016.
The whole medical treatment will take as long as 2 years carried-out in stages, a lot will be determined by her recoveries.
At the Fei Chi Kei Clinic here in TOY SHAN, they advertise to remain open to 10:00 pm Mon-Fri.
What is the point, you can stay opened to Mid-night, if there is not enough doctors around?
Get off your backs, and do the right thing, show us that you are a Real Pro., you are dealing with human beings, if they are well and not ill they wouldn’t be here.
I went to a Private Dental Clinic, when I arrived there, I was told that they were fully booked for the day, just what do you mean by that? I am physically there, one or two more is not going to kill the doctor, there is such a thing called Over-Time.
Overall, there is always room for improvement..
I would like to sincerely thank the SCMP for bring this up.
I called AIA once to find a specialist in Macau and was referred to Hong Kong, as Macau lacked anyone in their network. But as I began looking into the meaning of the many acronyms posted beside the specialists’ names, I found that many of the doctors (in HK and Macau) gained their “specialist” credentials through short correspondence or online-only courses. So, in the end, other than through positive word-of-mouth referrals, how would one ever know the level of hands-on experience of the practitioner? It’s a gamble. But one shouldn’t have to gamble on their healthcare, even in Macau.