A male worker threatened to jump from the top of one of the buildings on the construction site of the public hospital project in Cotai on Saturday over a labour dispute, the authorities have said.
A Fire Services Bureau (CB) statement on Saturday identified the man as a 37-year-old non-resident worker from the mainland. He returned to a safe location after being coaxed down by police officers.
The Cotai hospital complex – officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex – comprises seven buildings in two phases – six buildings in the first phase and one in the second phase. Among the seven buildings, only the construction of one building has been completed so far – the nursing college which was completed in late 2019. The other five buildings in the first phase are under construction, while the government is still planning and designing the building in the second phase – a rehabilitation hospital.
“Islands” is the official term for Taipa, Coloane and Cotai together.
The five buildings in the first phase under construction comprise three main buildings (a general hospital, a logistics support building and an administration and multi-purpose building), staff quarters, as well as a central laboratory.
Saturday’s incident occurred on the construction site of the central laboratory.
According to the CB statement, the bureau received a report at around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday that the worker was threatening to jump from the top of the scaffolding on the construction site.
At the scene firefighters set up a rescue air cushion. The worker later returned to a safe location after being coaxed down by the police, the CB statement said.
The worker was taken to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for outpatient treatment for a minor injury that he had suffered while working that day before threatening to jump.
In a statement on Saturday, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said that the worker threatened to jump after a subcontractor of the construction site had decided “not to renew his employment contract”.
The DSAL statement urged workers to resolve labour disputes in a rational way. The statement pledged that the bureau will continue to pay close attention to the situation.
