Many people go to Macau every year to gamble, and if they’re smart they steer clear of accident, injury, and illness. This is because the rapidly growing region (under administration by the People’s Republic of China) currently has only one public hospital. But the Health Bureau, headed by director Lei Chin Ion and deputy director Chan Wai Sin (who is also the director of the Conde de São Januário Hospital) has plans to enact a change, and it is welcomed by both health care professionals and the general public. Starting in 2012, construction will begin on a 50,000 square meter complex located on Cotai (the eastern part of Estrada de Istmo), with completion of all three phases expected by 2015. In the meantime, they need to find some doctors.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of physicians and specialists to go around. Most local doctors are already employed by Conde de São Januário, or one of the private hospitals in the area. This means that the Macau government will either have to start recruiting outsiders or increase training resources for locals (which many health-care professionals advocate). It seems that for the time being, they have decided to go with the former option. And considering that the two official languages of the region are Chinese and Portuguese, it should come as no surprise that they have begun their foray into the world of medical professionals with a survey of Portugal.
According to Radio Macau (a Portuguese-language station) the recruiting mission has already begun with a call across Portugal for a staff of 26 health-care professionals (22 physicians among them), slated to earn MOP 68,000-83,000 (roughly $8,500 to $10,400 US). But this is just a precursor to the project. It has been speculated that a minimum of 200 doctors will be needed by the completion of the first phase of building, with numbers topping out at over 600 by the end of phase three. Of course, exact numbers won’t be determined until the project is finished, but the scope of the plan has become apparent.
As for what type of doctors will be required, the list is just as far-ranging. Physicians will naturally make up the bulk of the staff, but considering they’re planning on erecting a 100-bed emergency ward (along with a crisis center), a PET scan and radiation treatment facility, and a drug-control department, it’s easy to see that they’re going to need a diverse range of doctors. In fact, they plan to offer a wide variety of specialists, reported to include areas like pediatrics, psychiatry, cardiology, and even forensic medicine. In short, this facility will provide for many of the health-care needs of the general populace as well as the always-heavy tourist trade.
The only drawback, according to local doctors, is that medical professionals will largely be shipped in from abroad (Portugal, in particular). Many physicians are calling for the government to increase local manpower by starting educational programs now. Although most students won’t be fully trained before the hospital is slated to open its doors, they believe it is important to offer this opportunity for advancement to the citizenry of Macau. After all, who can better treat a population than those who are a part of it?
Leah Ryan writes for Adiamor Engagement Rings where you can find loose diamonds, engagement ring settings, diamond pendants, and other fine diamond jewelry.