Islands Hospital starts trial operations in December

The Peking Union Medical College Hospital will operate Cotai’s new hospital, which will start trial operations on Dec. 20, local media has reported.

A government statement disclosed trial operations will only commence “at the end of this year.”

Officially referred to as the Islands District Medical Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the incubation of the new hospital started more than a decade ago, when the then government decided to reclaim a lake, which is where the current hospital stands, to build a new medical facility, in consideration of the growing permanent and fluid population in Taipa, Coloane and Cotai.

Two years ago, the government announced the Beijing entity will manage the hospital, while maintaining its role as a public hospital.

However, it is at present unclear whether the new hospital will have an accident and emergency department.

The new hospital “will pursue the objective of developing a regional medical center at national level,” noted the statement.

The largest medical facility in Macau, with a gross construction area measuring 430,000 square meters, the new hospital has been designed to hold more than 800 beds. During its early phase, the hospital will offer health management and specialist out-patient services.

Gradually, services will expand to oncology as well as medical and surgical in-patient services. Medical imagery services will also be offered later, the government added.

The government also said the new hospital “will pursue a development path of taking advantage of its headquarters in Macau, focusing on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and extending to Southeast Asia.”

Apart from “high-quality medical services, the new hospital will also be capable of conducting medical education and research,” the government said.