The Macao Union Hospital in Cotai held a ceremony yesterday marking its 2nd anniversary, during which Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam reaffirmed in a speech that the local government is aiming for this hospital to shoulder 25 percent of Macau’s public medical service at the end of next year.
At the end of last year, the large hospital shouldered 10 percent of Macau’s public medical service.
The large-scale healthcare complex in south Cotai is officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CMM-PUMCH). It is jointly operated by the internationally renowned Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in Beijing and the Macau government thanks to the Central People’s Government’s support.
Colloquially, it is known as “Hip Woh” in Cantonese.
“Islands” is the official term referring to Taipa, Coloane, and Cotai.
The healthcare complex, Macau’s largest hospital, started its trial operation on December 20, 2023, after which it officially opened on September 16, 2024.
For short, the large-scale public healthcare facility is officially known as Macao Union Medical Centre or Macao Union Hospital.
In her speech yesterday, O Lam said that the Macao Union Hospital stands as a key cooperation project and major social infrastructure initiative advancing the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle in the healthcare sector. With the central authorities’ strong support and the National Health Commission’s (NHC) guidance, the Macau government has designated three core roles for the hospital since its trial operation began at the end of 2023: optimising public healthcare, pioneering high-end healthcare services, and cultivating local talent, she said.
Over the past two years, O Lam said, the Macao Union Hospital has been operating smoothly since it officially opened, gradually shouldering an increasing portion of Macau’s public medical service. This has been helping Macau continuously enhance its healthcare service quality, fully demonstrating the central authorities’ care for Macau residents’ well-being.
O Lam said that the local government expects the Macao Union Hospital to continue developing its services in compliance with the needs of Macau’s public medical service, deepening collaboration with the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre and other medical institutions, with the aim of enabling them to achieve differentiated development and leverage their complementary strengths.
O Lam said that the local government also expects the Macao Union Hospital – by fully drawing upon Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s advantages in expertise, technology, and talent – to continuously enhance Macau’s capabilities in treating complex diseases and providing specialised medical services, strengthen local healthcare talent training, steadily expand international medical services, promote the development of Macau’s medical tourism, and drive quality and efficiency improvements in Macau’s big health industry.
O Lam said that the local government also expects the Macao Union Hospital to explore the possibility of establishing a new medical research centre aimed at facilitating the better integration of clinical care, teaching, and scientific research resources, strengthening Macau’s healthcare talent training, creating a platform for medical research and its translation covering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and connecting the international community, and enhancing Macau’s influence in medical research.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam addresses yesterday’s ceremony marking the 2nd anniversary of the Macao Union Hospital in Cotai. – Photo courtesy of TDM
