Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam said at the weekend that Macao Union Hospital, a public-private partnership, has shouldered about 10 percent of Macau’s public healthcare service in its first year of operation.
The policy secretary also said she hoped that at the end of 2027 Macao Union Hospital will shoulder 25 percent of Macau’s public healthcare service.
O made the remarks in a speech during a ceremony at the hospital in Cotai which marked its first anniversary.
As Macau’s largest hospital, Macao Union Hospital officially opened on September 16 last year.
The hospital is officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). It is operated by PUMCH in collaboration with the local government. It is informally known as “islands hospital” due to its location in Cotai.
Apart from O, the ceremony was also attended by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai; the director and deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Zheng Xincong and Huang Liuquan respectively; PUMCH Honorary President Dr Zhao Yupei and President Dr Zhang Shuyang; Macao Union Hospital President Dr Wu Wenming; and Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long.
O said in her speech that the success of Macao Union Hospital signifies the effective implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle in the healthcare sector. She expressed hope that Macao Union Hospital will provide residents with higher-quality, more efficient, and more accessible medical services, offer more learning and development opportunities for local healthcare professionals, and serve as the central driver for advancing Macau’s health industry.
Dr Zhao said that he, as a direct witness to the development of Macao Union Hospital, was deeply gratified by its smooth operation and the benefits it has brought to the public. He emphasised that the hospital has become a successful model of healthcare collaboration within the “One Country, Two Systems” framework. Dr Zhao expressed confidence that, through collective efforts, the hospital will carry on the “esteemed” traditions of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, enhance its quality and services through international accreditation, and make greater contributions to the healthcare of Macau residents, the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the nation’s public health in general.
PUMCH President Dr Zhang emphasised that Macao Union Hospital represents a crucial implementation of President Xi Jinping’s GBA strategy and is a “significant livelihood” project. He pledged that Peking Union Medical College Hospital will fully support Macao Union Hospital’s development by integrating resources to provide efficient, high-quality medical services, establishing it as a benchmark in GBA, and driving the advancement of the health industry.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (third right), the director and deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Zheng Xincong (centre, right) and Huang Liuquan (first right), respectively, listen to a briefing by a medical staff member (left) of Macao Union Hospital during a visit to the medical facility in Cotai on Saturday. – Photo: GCS
