Macao aims to have three doctors for every 1,000 residents. Will that be enough?
Lawmaker Che Lai Wang is concerned that a marginal increase on the current ratio still remains significantly below what most developed healthcare systems have.
While the Health Bureau aims to increase Macao’s ratio of doctors to residents to three doctors for every 1,000 residents by 2025, lawmaker Che Lai Wang claims this may not be enough to meet the SAR’s medical needs, Ponto Final reports.
The current ratio is 2.9 doctors for every 1,000 residents, according to the paper.
Citing figures from the Macau Civil Servants’ Association (ATFPM), Che noted that developed countries tend to have 3.2 to 3.9 doctors per 1,000 residents. In light of this, he has queried whether Macao’s target ratio is adequate.
[See more: The government aims for a 12-week maximum wait for specialist health consultations]
In response to Che’s written question, Health Bureau director Alvis Lo said that the department would intensify staff training and utilise technological advances to provide the timely support patients require.
According to Health Bureau data, around 700 people seek emergency medical care doctors in Macao each day. The wait time for urgent cases tends to be less than 30 minutes, while non-urgent cases wait between 60 and 90 minutes.
Macao residents currently wait 3.6 weeks, on average, for their first consultation with a medical specialist – and the government aims to cut maximum waits for even non-urgent specialities down to 12 weeks.
