Health Bureau launches study on population next year

The Health Bureau (SSM) will be launching a research study on Macau’s population next year, seeking to understand what the main health problems affecting the lives of residents are. SSM said in a statement that it will also be rolling out a program in an attempt to detect colon cancer early.
The bureau recalled that cancer is the main cause of death among Macau residents, particularly those aged between 40 and 50 years old. Lung, liver and colon cancer were the main causes of death among men. Lung, colon and breast cancer were the main causes of death among women.
The bureau stressed that it has enough medical staff to treat and care for patients with cancer. Currently the Oncology Unit of the public hospital has two local doctors, one American and one doctor from mainland China.
The head of the Health Bureau, Lei Chin Ion, spoke to reporters on Sunday, stressing that the services still need more time to assess the impact of measures recently taken to reduce the waiting period at the public hospital. New measures allow some Macau residents to resort to the private hospital, Kiang Wu, and non-profit medical entities while being granted a subsidy by the MSAR government.
He revealed that there was a slight increase in the number of people booking medical appointments at non-­profit medical institutions while the number of medical appointments at the public hospital remained stable.
Patients can also resort to a mobile phone app to access real time information on the waiting lists.