The government announced yesterday that it has finished drafting a bill that proposes the licensing of a new type of private medical institution known as “day hospital” whose service level ranges between a hospital and a clinic.
Day hospitals are a new type of medical institution becoming increasingly popular in more countries and regions, providing certain medical services that previously could only be provided by hospitals. As its name suggests, day hospitals do not run inpatient services.
Currently, Macau’s medical institutions in the private sector only comprise hospitals and clinics. The bill announced yesterday proposes that the future day hospitals can provide less intensive, outpatient surgical procedures and other specialty medical services, which currently can only be provided by hospitals.
Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak and Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long made the announcement during a press conference at Government Headquarters yesterday. Wong is also the spokesman for the government’s top advisory Executive Council.
The bill will be submitted to the Legislative Assembly (AL) in due course for debate, review and vote.
The Health Bureau’s licensing of privately run medical institutions in Macau is currently regulated by two decree laws promulgated in the 1990s, respectively regulating hospitals and clinics, when Macau was still under temporary Portuguese administration.
The bill announced yesterday proposes to establish a new legal system for licensing and regulating medical institutions in the private sector.
During yesterday’s press conference, Wong underlined that the government’s proposed new system aims to promote the development of Macau’s big health sector and its projected “healthcare + tourism” model, expand development opportunities for the city’s private healthcare sector, and improve the quality of their services.
Wong said that the government has drafted the bill after assessing the opinions collected from the city’s healthcare sector over the past few years as well as those gathered during a one-month public consultation carried out earlier this year.
According to Wong, the bill proposes the licensing of a new type of private medical institution known as day hospitals, which, he said, can provide certain non-hospitalised specialty medical services, which currently can only be provided by hospitals.
Dr Lo said that according to the bill, the future day hospitals will be defined as private medical institutions without inpatient facilities that provide certain specialty medical services with the expected length of diagnosis and treatment lasting up to 12 hours.
The health chief was quick to add that the 12-hour requirement will be a general requirement, meaning that if the length of diagnosis and treatment of a patient eventually exceeds 12 hours due to special circumstances, the respective day hospital will not be regarded by the bureau as violating the 12-hour rule, provided that it presents reasonable grounds for it. He mentioned an example where a patient can only leave the day hospital some time after the 12-hour period as he or she is still recovering from the anaesthesia after the surgery.
Dr Lo also said that the bill clearly defines the respective statutory functions of the three types of private medical institutions, namely hospitals, day hospitals, and clinics. He underlined that the government’s proposed licensing of day hospitals aims to promote the development of Macau’s big health sector and its projected “healthcare + tourism” model, enable residents to be provided with more diversified choices of medical services, and improve the city’s healthcare sector.
The health chief also mentioned examples for the medical services that can be provided by the future day hospitals, such as low-risk surgeries, endoscopy, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) services.
Wong dismisses rumours about new civil service working hours, pension system
Meanwhile, during yesterday’s press conference, Wong dismissed rumours circulating on social media concerning the government’s alleged intention of amending public servants’ normal working hours and its pension system for retired public servants.
Wong made the remarks when replying to a reporter’s question about the rumour. Wong’s remarks came after the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) dismissed the rumour in a statement yesterday morning.
The SAFP statement underlined that the local government does not have any plan to amend public servants’ normal working hours and its pension system for retired public servants.
Wong underlined during yesterday afternoon’s press conference that if the government planned to amend any systems concerning public servants, it would certainly collect opinions from various segments of civil society including public servants.
Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak (right) and Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long address yesterday’s Executive Council press conference at Government Headquarters. – Photo: Tony Wong
