Exam may be required for medical staff registration

2013-7-5

From：Macau Daily Times

The Health Bureau (SSM) said the authority would train more medical staff to meet the human resources shortage facing local clinics and hospitals. The Bureau also said that the current registration system for medical staff focuses on the verification of professional certificates and documentation but the authority is thinking of adding an examination to better assess the professional knowledge and skills of the city’s doctors and nurses.
According to TDM, the Bureau’s director, Lei Chin Ion, yesterday informed the Legislative Assembly of these plans, in his response to lawmaker Ho Ion Sang’s enquiry over the establishment of the Medical Council.
The Executive Council has just finished the draft of the executive dispatch for forming the Council. Lei told the Assembly that the new body will be a government advisory agency, as according to the Basic Law, the government can decide upon its own credential system for professional qualifications. This means the government will be responsible for the registration and assessment mechanisms for medical staff.
Separately, the official admitted that many medical facilities are facing staff shortages, including a shortage of over a hundred nurses and nursing assistants. Lei said the government plans to recruit and train additional staff this year to meet needs. SC

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