The Government plans to offer courses next academic year to train a greater number of speech and occupational therapists – in order to meet an increasing need for such specialist medical services.

The courses will be jointly offered by the Social Welfare Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Tertiary Education Services Office and the Macao Polytechnic Institute.

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng, made the comments on Wednesday (1 June) at the launch ceremony of new facilities for the assessment of children with special needs.

It is known as the integrated centre for child assessment, and is located in the Conde S. Januário Hospital. The centre is part of the Government’s efforts to provide better-integrated services for children with special needs, said Mr Tam. It provides services such as assessment, consultation, diagnosis, treatment, and patient profile management; all within the same facility.

Other things provided at the centre include child evaluation and education services, language and speech therapy, occupational therapy, and hearing tests.

The Government noted that there was an increasing need for such services for children. It is the Government’s priority to provide a better environment – in general terms – under which children can grow up in a healthy manner. Mr Tam noted the new facilities provided services to all children in need in Macao, regardless of their ethnicity.

Later on Wednesday, International Children’s Day, the Secretary made visits – and also presented gifts – to children staying as in-patients at, respectively, the Conde S. Januário Hospital and Kiang Wu Hospital.