On 27 September, the Opening Ceremony of the 1^st Anniversary Celebration of the Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (hereinafter referred to as “Macao Union Medical Center”) and the 2^nd Academic Week of the Macao Union Medical Center were held. Among the guests of honor who presided over the Opening Ceremony were Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Sam Hou Fai; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Zheng Xincong; Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, O Lam; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Huang Liuquan; Honorary President of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Zhao Yupei; President of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Zhang Shuyang; Head of Division of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the National Health Commission, Zhang Xiaobo; Director of the Health Bureau, Lo Iek Long; and Director of the Macao Union Medical Center, Wu Wenming.

Successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and an important milestone for the development of Macao's healthcare sector

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Secretary O Lam said that with the strong support of the Central People’s Government and under the guidance of the National Health Commission, the PUMCH and the Macao SAR Government have maintained close cooperation to promote the establishment of the Macao Medical Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Macao. This is a successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle in the healthcare sector, as well as an important milestone for the high-quality development of Macao’s medical system. Over the past year, under the coordination and leadership of the Chief Executive, the Macao Union Medical Center, guided by its three fundamental positions — namely, optimizing public medical services, expanding the high-quality healthcare market and training local talent — has transitioned from the start-up phase to the growth phase, achieving positive results in terms of mechanism building, healthcare services and long-term capacity building.

She also presented the following three expectations: (1) Always adopt a patient-oriented approach and take full advantage of the technological advantages of the PUMCH to strengthen the capacity for diagnosis and treatment of serious and complex diseases and continuously introduce advanced medical technologies and equipment, in order to provide residents with healthcare services that are higher-quality, more efficient and more convenient; (2) Continue to establish and improve the talent training system so as to create more learning and development opportunities for skilled healthcare professionals in Macao, as well as develop a series of distinctive specialties with regional influence to attract more outstanding personnel, thereby creating a favorable environment for talent pooling and driving the overall advancement of Macao’s medical technologies; (3) Strive to achieve the goal of polishing Macao’s “golden business card” as an international metropolis, while actively participating in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, working hand in hand to overcome medical challenges through joint scientific research projects and academic exchange activities in order to promote the coordinated development of the big health industry, transforming Macao into a regional medical center and increasing its international influence.

Transmitting the PUMCH spirit and establishing an exemplary model in the Greater Bay Area

Honorary President Zhao Yupei stated in his speech that, as one of the participants in the strategic development planning of the Macao Union Medical Center, he had witnessed and accompanied its entire evolution from the project’s conception to its current initial scale. He expressed his deep satisfaction that the medical center is operating steadily, and that medical services, scientific research and teaching are all gradually maturing to the point where they will benefit not only the people of Macao but also those of neighboring regions.

Zhao emphasized that the Macao Union Medical Center not only symbolizes the living practice of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle in terms of cooperation in the healthcare sector, but also constitutes a successful example of regional medical collaboration and mutual complementation of advantages. He also indicated that the Chinese Medical Association and the Chinese Association of Pancreatology would continue to, as always, fully support the construction and development of the Macao Union Medical Center by encouraging and guiding outstanding healthcare professionals from mainland China to come to Macao for exchange and cooperation, actively promoting the inclination of the excellent academic resources of both associations towards Macao and helping the Macao Union Medical Center to access internationally advanced medical technologies and knowledge. The support aims to make it a center for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and a platform for medical innovation with international influence. He believed that, under the guidance of the patriotic and love-for-Macao spirit and the joint efforts of all parties involved, the Macao Union Medical Center would continue to inherit and promote the fine traditions of the PUMCH. Through participation in the assessment of the international hospital accreditation standards, the Macao Union Medical Center will seek to achieve the goals of optimizing safety and quality, managing risk comprehensively, systematizing occupational safety, providing meticulous humanistic care and creating a frank relationship between doctors and patients, with a view to making a greater contribution to the provision of services to Macao residents, the coordinated development of the healthcare sector in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the improvement of the health and well-being of people.

In her speech, President Zhang Shuyang emphasized that the project of the Macao Union Medical Center represents an essential practice in the in-depth implementation of President Xi Jinping’s strategy for promoting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as a crucial undertaking for the benefit of the people of the Macao SAR. This project has undergone a decade of thorough planning, three years of intensive construction, two years of detailed preparation and one year of successful operation. In the future, the PUMCH will make every effort to assist in the growth of the Macao Union Medical Center, including: 1) Leveraging advantages and synergistically increasing efficiency: using the “PUMCH resources” to consolidate the foundation of Macao’s healthcare service and integrate skilled personnel, technologies, online and offline resources, overcoming the “last mile” in the delivery of effective, convenient and high-quality medical services; 2) Global vision and sharing of opportunities: establish the “Greater Bay Area standard” with the “PUMCH quality,” promoting the enhancement of the big health industry through innovative thinking, in order to inject new dynamism into the development of the appropriate diversification of Macao’s economy, as well as elevate the PUMCH’s internationalization strategy to new heights; 3) People-centered services and health protection: carry out the missions of medical professionals in accordance with the “PUMCH standard,” so that the humanistic care provided by the Macao Union Medical Center can contribute to enriching Macao’s foundation of care as a global humanistic city.

Opening of the 2^nd Academic Week of the Macao Union Medical Center

Following the Opening Ceremony of the 1^st Anniversary Celebration of the Macao Union Medical Center, Director Wu Wenming announced the official start of the 2^nd Academic Week of the Macao Union Medical Center, which will last for two days.

When speaking at the event, Director Wu pointed out that since its establishment, the Macao Union Medical Center has closely coordinated with the Macao SAR Government’s policy of “improve medical services and prioritize prevention.” Adopting the principle of prioritizing public medical services and proactively leveraging the rich clinical experience of the PUMCH, its management systems and its advantages in terms of talented personnel, the Macao Union Medical Center has achieved significant phased progress in multiple areas, such as medical cooperation between Macao and Beijing, alleviation of pressure on public medical services, diagnosis and treatment of complex and serious diseases and training of healthcare professionals, among others. Continuing the traditions of the PUMCH, the 2^nd Academic Week will focus on different topics, organizing keynote speeches and 10 specific forums dedicated to various areas of interest to the medical community. The director of the Macao Union Medical Center also expressed his hope that the more than 100 experts and participants from home and abroad would bring innovative and inspiring medical perspectives to both the Macao healthcare industry and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

This event, which took place on 27September, was attended by more than 500 guests, including representatives from Macao’s government departments, members of the Strategic Development Committee and Supervisory Board of the Macao Union Medical Center, representatives from Hong Kong’s healthcaresector, healthcare professionals and administrative and management staff from the Macao Union Medical Center, specialists seconded by the PUMCH in Macao, invited experts, speakers, representatives of the PUMCH, Macao’smedical professionals, etc.