The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today said that the Macao Union Hospital was a significant milestone in healthcare cooperation between Macao and the mainland. Commencing the hospital’s trial operations marked a new chapter and a new milestone in Macao’s healthcare services, and the successful practise of “One country, two systems” in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
The Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, to be known as Macao Union Hospital, began trial operations today. At the inauguration ceremony, Mr Ho said the launch of the hospital on the day celebrating the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the MSAR carried great significance.
Mr Ho expressed on behalf of the MSAR Government his gratitude to the country for the care it continued to show for the people of Macao. He thanked the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the National Health Commission, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the MSAR, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital for their support in facilitating this healthcare collaboration.
The Chief Executive said that starting from today, Macao Union Hospital shouldered multiple responsibilities.
First, as a public medical institution, the priority was to provide high-quality healthcare, and further options for medical services, to Macao residents. The new facility would also enhance Macao’s capacity to provide critical-care and specialist medical services, thus effectively improving the health and overall well-being of Macao residents.
Second, was the responsibility to build upon the brand image of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and commit to developing the facility into an internationally-influential first-class medical centre, based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Third, the new facility should draw upon the expertise and technologies available via the top-class medical team of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. This would help provide high-level, diverse training opportunities for local medical professionals, via a broadened development platform, and enable establishment of a medical-talent echelon, and so jointly facilitate the high-quality development of Macao’s healthcare industry.
In his speech, the Chief Executive said that President Xi Jinping has always been interested in Macao, its development, and the well-being of Macao people. In May this year, Director Xia Baolong of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council visited Macao and inspected the construction of the Islands Healthcare Complex. He emphasised the importance of successfully implementing this project and its significant benefits for people’s well-being. The combination of Macao’s unique advantages, together with the scale of the new hospital, the medical expertise of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and adoption and use of advanced medical equipment, would facilitate Macao’s appropriate economic diversification through developing the ‘Big Health’ industry.
The Chief Executive also pointed out that maintenance of health was of utmost importance for the well-being of Macao people, as it affected the development and future of society. The MSAR Government had always prioritised people’s lives and health, ensuring adequate allocation of resources to the healthcare sector. With a commitment to the principle of “improve medical services and prioritise prevention”, the public healthcare service network was being enhanced, as was the fostering of collaboration with non-profit medical institutions and private clinics. Good use was being made – through multiple measures – of the complementary advantages of all these entities, in order to deliver high-quality healthcare services to Macao people.
In addition, the upcoming year marked the start of the implementation of the Development Plan for Appropriate Economic Diversification of the MSAR (2024-2028). Traditional Chinese medicine and the Big Health industry were among the four key industries outlined in the plan. Thus, today’s official launch of Macao Union Hospital’s trial operations was well-timed, said Mr Ho. Macao had to fully utilise the institutional advantages of “One country, two systems”: by incorporating the “medical services + tourism” development direction, Macao would enhance the influence of Macao Union Hospital, and accelerate the construction of a regional medical centre.
Other guests delivering a speech at the ceremony were: Vice-minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao; Chairman of the Macao Hospital Strategic Development Committee of the Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mr Zhao Yupei; and member of the Macao Hospital Strategic Development Committee of the Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Ms Zhang Shuyang.
In his speech, Vice-minister Mr Lei said that with the support of the Central Government, the Macao Union Hospital project was a valuable achievement of the close cooperation between the MSAR Government and Peking Union Medical College Hospital. It was also a unique and significant demonstration, symbol, and livelihood project to promote the “One country, two systems” principle in healthcare.
The MSAR Government had worked to provide support on legal matters, talent resources and finance, for the sustainable development of Macao Union Hospital. For its part, the National Health Commission had worked to provide guidance to Peking Union Medical College Hospital on how to meet the Central Government’s requirements; how to provide to the MSAR Government administrative support; and how to make use of its brand, talents, and management experience, to contribute to the success of Macao Union Hospital. Throughout the entire process, all parties were united, demonstrating the superiority of the “One country, two systems” principle through practical actions.
Mr Lei pointed out that today’s trial operation of Macao Union Hospital was the culmination – and confirmation – of the successful work conducted over the past three years.
He also put forward new requirements and new expectations for follow-up work. First, to adhere to the original intention and mission of serving Macao people; second, to cooperate to promote higher-quality development of medical services; and, third, to make use of existing advantages to enhance Macao Union Hospital’s global vision and international connections. The National Health Commission would continue to support the development of Macao Union Hospital, added Mr Lei.
Chairman of the Strategic Development Committee, Mr Zhao, pointed out in his speech that the trial operation of Macao Union Hospital was not only a significant event for the MSAR, but also for the healthcare industry in China, as it marked the beginning of a new model for mainland hospitals to operate and manage medical institutions in places outside the mainland.
Mr Zhao mentioned that the legal framework for Macao Union Hospital’s activities came into effect on 1 October. It was the first legislation specifically enacted by the MSAR Government for a hospital. The legal framework included the Strategic Development Committee as the highest decision-making body of the hospital.
Today’s ceremony to mark trial operations signified the ‘final-sprint’ stage before the official opening of Macao Union Hospital. Members of the Strategic Development Committee and all staff of the hospital would fulfil their duties and work hard, fully utilising the geographical advantages and policy benefits of the MSAR, making use of the brand image of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and cooperating with the MSAR Government's plan for appropriate economic diversification. The goal was to achieve the strategic positioning of “treating major diseases in Macao, facing the Greater Bay Area, and radiating to Southeast Asia”, and to build the hospital into an internationally-influential first-class medical centre.
Member of the Strategic Development Committee Ms Zhang said in her speech that Peking Union Medical College Hospital was very honoured to undertake the historic mission of operating and managing the new hospital. It was Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s first venture outside mainland China in order to start the exploration and practice of operating hospitals under the “One country, two systems” principle. She deeply felt the responsibility that came with this mission, and would strive to adhere to the “One country, two systems” principle through “three focuses” to realise “three improvements”:
First, was to focus on people’s health and make good use of the hospital to develop further Macao’s capacity in the field of complicated, critical and rare diseases, and help improve Macao’s ability to diagnose and treat complicated and severe disease.
Second, was to focus on talent cultivation, and rely on the elite medical education, distinctive brand culture, and modern hospital management experiences accumulated by Peking Union Medical College Hospital over the past century. This was in order to recruit and train talented medical professionals, and thus improve Macao’s capabilities in this field.
Third, was to focus on national strategies, and collaborate to carry out forward-looking scientific research, in order to integrate diagnosis, treatment and healthcare. This would create a new outlook for Macao in terms of health in the community, and enable Macao to strengthen its momentum regarding its appropriate economic diversification.
