The government said yesterday that it will recruit the first 200 health workers and administrative staff next month for its Cotai hospital complex, which will start operating in December.
After the first-phase operation starts in December, the Cotai hospital complex’s various other services will start later in phases, the government said.
Lei Wai Seng, who heads the government’s preparatory office for the Cotai hospital complex’s operational start, made the remarks when attending yesterday’s current affairs phone-in programme hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi, the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM.
The hospital complex in south Cotai, officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex, will be operated by Peking Union Medical College Hospital (aka Beijing Xiehe Hospital).
“Xiehe” means “harmony”.
“Islands” is the official term referring to Taipa, Coloane and Cotai.
A new law regulating the Islands Healthcare Complex’s management will take effect on October 1, according to which the employment of the Cotai hospital complex’s staff members will be regulated by the city’s labour legal system for the private sector, rather than by the government’s employment system for public servants, with the aim of increasing the flexibility of recruiting highly-qualified health professionals.
According to the new law, the Macau government will ensure that the operation of the public Islands Healthcare Complex will be sufficiently financed, while Peking Union Medical College Hospital will be responsible for operating and managing the Cotai hospital complex, through its “brand” and medical techniques, in collaboration with the Macau government.
The large-scale Cotai hospital project comprises two phases – six buildings in the first phase and one in the second phase.
The construction of all the six buildings in the Cotai hospital complex’s first phase has been completed, while the construction of the second phase’s rehabilitation hospital is now expected to get off the ground at the end of this year.
The government said last month that it will recruit 400 health workers later this year for the first-phase operation of the Cotai hospital complex.
Dr Lei reaffirmed yesterday that the Cotai hospital complex’s first phase will have over 800 beds, while the future rehabilitation hospital in the second phase will provide 300 beds.
Dr Lei said that the government will first recruit 200 staff next month for its Cotai hospital complex’s first-phase operation, including doctors, nurses and administrative staff.
Dr Lei said that the recruitment will cover doctors of various levels. But he was quick to add that the Cotai hospital will primarily recruit specialists.
Dr Lei noted that the Cotai hospital is a large-scale healthcare complex, because of which its operation will need a large number of health workers and other staff, at a level far more than 200, he said.
Consequently, Dr Lei said, the government will need to constantly recruit health workers and other staff for the Cotai hospital complex for the foreseeable future.
Dr Lei underlined that the government will recruit health workers for the Cotai hospital in line with the labour market’s wage levels, adding that it will not offer excessively high salaries to attract health workers from the labour market.
Dr Lei also reaffirmed that top management members and senior specialists from Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing will move to Macau to work at the Cotai hospital complex.
This photo taken last month from a Light Rail Transit (LRT) train shows the Cotai hospital complex. – Photo: Tony Wong
