Medical Committee discusses Macau doctors practicingin Hengqin

At its 11th meeting for the current term, the Medical Committee has discussed arrangements for Macau medical professionals to practice in Hengqin.

Alvis Lo, committee president and director of the Health Bureau (SSM), has said administrative regulations concerning medical and pharmacy staff would be promulgated on Aug. 1.

Current regulations allow 15 types of local medical staff to practice in Hengqin after two years of licensed services in Macau and after Hengqin authorities have registered and licensed them.

The proposed regulation stipulates that Macau pharmacy technical staff, including pharmacists, Chinese medicinal pharmacists, traditional Chinese medicine doctors and pharmacy assistants, will be allowed to provide services at pharmacies in Hengqin once registered.

A new set of management guidelines will be released to govern the registration of Macau medical staff in Hengqin said Fong Fong Tan, vice director of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the in-depth cooperation zone on Hengqin, speaking at the meeting.

The guidelines will be a document supporting the implementation of the aforementioned regulations and will be released before the regulations. A public consultation is being conducted for the guidelines, she added.

A healthcare training base in Hengqin, accredited by the Macau Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme for medical staff, will constantly refine its programs and courses to suit the needs of Macau medical staff, Fong said.

The CPD scheme has approved courses for local medical staff to take to accumulate points for their license renewal.

A set of guidelines for registering pharmacy staff will be released later to accompany the aforementioned regulations, said Iau Iong Wa, vice director of the Business Services Bureau of the zone on Hengqin.

According to the committee, local medical staff welcome the arrangements.