Public health services’ manpower to be boosted

The public healthcare sector expects to recruit a total of 2,640 additional health professionals in the following five years, while some of the specialist outpatient services at the Hospital Conde S. Januário will be made available for more hours starting from next month.
According to the head of Health Bureau, Lei Chin Ion, the intended workforce expansion is timed to address the introduction of  medical facilities, namely the city’s second public hospital, which is slated for operation before 2020, along with several other upcoming health centers.
“The number of beds at the healthcare complex of the islands [the future hospital] exceeds that of the current public hospital. Our current plan is 900 beds. To date, there are 460 doctors at both local health centers and the public hospital. The city will see another five health centers in the upcoming five years. The future hardware doubles the current one,” said Lei at Tuesday’s Legislative Assembly plenary meeting.
Totals of 480 doctors, 1700 nurses, 120 pharmacists, 200 senior hygienic technicians, and 140 technicians for diagnosis and treatment were among those expected to join the current medical team, according to Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, who said that these numbers were formulated following an initial assessment.
The report also noted that it was possible to extend the current opening hours of some specialty outpatient services at the city’s only public hospital on a three-month pilot mode. Such an attempt was made to shorten the waiting time for these services. If it proves efficient, the trial scheme would become a long-term policy.