Policy Address | Alexis Tam ‘Health, education and social welfare are the priorities’

Alexis Tam (center)

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, said yesterday that “health, education and social welfare are the priorities” for the government.

During the first day of the Policy Address presentation by Tam, questions on tourism development, education and healthcare topped lawmakers’ concerns.

Ma Chi Seng voiced his concern about public health, suggesting that Tam pay more attention to sports rather than education and healthcare. He recommends that the city should develop the “Sports for All” program. Resorting to the latest reports about the region’s health, specifically youth health, Ma said that sports education should be given priority in the development of the city.

The lawmaker pointed out that from 2010 until 2015, local people’s average weight increased. The percentage of overweight people increased 3.4 percent and currently there are approximately 150,000 people who are overweight. Ma, citing a newspaper, said that Macau’s residents “eat good, live well, but their health is not good.”

“The overall [health] quality [of the population] has improved,” said Tam, opposing Ma’s statement that local people’s weight had increased.

Ma vows that “developing sports tourism will be the pathway of Macau.” According to him, 10 percent of the world’s economy comes from sports tourism. He noted that reforms in sports courses are the target of many of the world’s governmental reforms.

Tam pointed out that comparing the results of the first global physical tests of Macau’s population back in 2005 with that of the third test in 2015 shows that local people in fact have improved their health.

Regarding the development of sports tourism, Tam agrees with Ma, “Sports tourism is indeed a project which can be greatly developed.”

The secretary promised to enhance sports training programs in the city. He also hopes that Macau can have a specific training centre. Moreover, the secretary noted that the Macao Government Tourism Office has already established development plans related to sports tourism, with hopes of organizing further sports activities that attract more tourists to Macau. 

In his reply to Wong Kit Cheng, who posed questions about the Children Assessment Center established in June, Tam said that 339 children have already completed an assessment from the center, 127 of whom were children who were already on the waiting list before the center’s establishment. “Our work is very efficient,” said Tam.

Questioned by Lei Cheng I, Tam revealed data related to the city’s medical professionals who specialise in treating mental illness. He argued that Macau has a reasonable number of experts working in this field.Tam also claimed that the city has prepared enough doctors and social workers to provide the necessary medical services.

According the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, for every 1,000 Macau residents there are 2.6 hospital beds. Tam pledged to increase the number of beds to 4.4 per 1,000 people.

Education was other topic discussed. Chan Hong pointed out that teachers providing education to students with learning difficulties or students with diseases often leave their positions. These teachers have poorer welfare conditions and reduced salaries compared to other teachers. 

Tam said that in order to respond to this issue, Macao Polytechnic Institute will start offering courses specifically for special education teachers. It will enrol new students starting from the next academic year. Tam also said that salaries for public school teachers have been upgraded. The city has revised policies related to teachers, and it has already entered the next stage of legislative procedures.

Chan Hong issued a reminder that some teachers who work in public schools do not have long-term contracts with their employers or do not have a permanent contract. She questioned Tam about which stage the authority is in regarding the establishment of a system for public school teachers that can make clear regulation with respect to the aforementioned issues. She further questioned whether such a system could be implemented before 2017. Julie Zhu

Gov’t willing to allow smoking lounges

The government is willing to allow the city’s gaming operators to establish smoking lounges inside the casinos. However, according to Alexis Tam, these lounges must carry “high standards.” He said that several governmental departments are still doing research on this subject. “[Establishing the lounges] must be agreed by the casinos’ employees,” Tam explained. He pledged that Macau’s “tobacco control laws will not become trash.” Lei Chin Ion, director of the Health Bureau, revealed that many members of the AL standing committees agreed with the decision to establish smoking lounges inside casinos. The committee will deliver new amended laws to the AL in less than 10 months.