The Public Works Bureau (DSOP) has updated the expected conclusion date for the construction of the Public Health Specialist Building of the public hospital to sometime within May.
The work was commissioned in January 2021, according to the website. The original end-date was scheduled for last month, but has been pushed out by a 43-day delay caused by Covid-19 restrictions across several outbreaks over the past few years, according to the DSOP.
Located on the southwestern end of the Conde de São Januário Hospital, the eight-story building takes up an area of 5,700 sqm and reaches 35.6 m at its tallest point. The building houses 80 standard isolation wards, operation theaters, laboratories, observation wards, X-ray labs, CT scan labs and other supportive facilities. Ventilation systems with filtration have also been installed for safety.
The foundation and construction of the building and other auxiliary costs come to over MOP1 billion. The foundation work costed about MOP110 million.
As seen from the outside, the bamboo scaffolding has been fully removed. As per local media outlet Macao Daily News, internal decoration work started in September last year.
When the government proposed to build a specialized infectious disease facility in 2016, the proposal was opposed by nearby residents, who believed that the building was too close to residential buildings and schools, and worried that it would have a negative impact.
During the past three years, however, more discussions have been held on Macau’s capacity to handle infectious disease outbreaks. AL
