Health | Chan Iek Lap defends local medical services

Chan Iek Lap

Lawmaker Chan Iek Lap said that “not all [medical] aspects cannot compare with Hong Kong’s or the neighboring regions’,” during his lecture last week at the Macau University of Science and Technology.
Earlier, a South China Morning Post report criticizing Macau’s medical service led the Health Bureau (SSM) to publish a statement contesting the news agency. The report stated that Macau’s public is not confident in the city’s medical service, and that Hong Kong is better for seeking medical treatment.
Chan, who is also a doctor, said: “You will think the integral medical level is distanced from the one in neighboring regions, but I, as an insider, believe that part of the subjects under discussion are basically close to the neighboring regions’.” Chan exemplified with the medical treatment of heart related problems, where Macau performs at a high level.
The doctor considered that, under some circumstances, some patients need urgent treatment, and that sending them out for a timely treatment can solve their problems. Chan explained that Macau has a small population, therefore it has not enough medical cases to warrant the establishment of every specialized service.
In Chan’s words, “they [Hong Kong and Macau] have their own indexes. Regarding this situation, it [the comparison criteria] is not integral.”
Chan explained that it will take several years for Macau to train specialists in some areas, and for that reason it would be easier to send the patients out.
The doctor then brought up another topic, predicting that if Macau establishes a medical institute to train local medical professionals, there will be not enough employment opportunities for the graduates.
Another concern of Chan’s is that “a great amount of money will be spent to open a medical school.” In his words, if each year there are at most 50 students, this figure does not represent a good deal. On the other hand, if a medical school trains 100 doctors every year, there will be not enough employment opportunities in Macau for these graduates.
In addition, the lawmaker praised the local government’s effort in providing medical services to the public, and said: “The government uses a lot of money in the city’s medical service.”
“I hope everyone understands that Macau’s medical service have made progress,” concluded Chan.
Earlier, the SSM published a statement contesting the South China Morning Post article. “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 reports mislead people, and it needs to be clarified,” the statement reads.