Portugal's health minister Manuel Pizarro (left) welcomed Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U (centre). Photo by GCS

Ao Ieong meets Portuguese health minister, training and recruitment on agenda

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ao Ieong U, has met with Portugal’s Minister of Health, Manuel Pizarro, in Lisbon to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation on medical exchanges, training, and recruitment of specialists, as well as the development of the healthcare industry.

Ao Ieong said that a delegation from Macau’s Health Bureau recently met with the Portuguese Medical Association, which expressed support for the SAR’s plan to send doctors to Portugal regularly and recruit specialist doctors who are lacking in Macau, according to a statement issued by the Government Information Bureau. The same press release, published today (Saturday), stated that the meeting took place on Thursday.

The Secretary shared with Pizarro Macau’s plan to develop the healthcare sector and the healthcare industry in the coming decade, emphasizing that the Portuguese pharmaceutical sector is welcome to invest either in the Macau SAR or in the neighboring In-depth Deep Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

The Portuguese Minister of Health expressed great support for the Portuguese doctors who will work in the SAR, as indicated in the same press release.

Pizarro also said that he sees plenty of room for expanding cooperation between Portugal and Macau, adding that Portugal is home to top-tier pharmaceutical companies. The minister mentioned that his office would provide a list of relevant phase companies for future contacts.

Another highlight of Ao Ieong’s visit to Portugal was a meeting with the leadership of the University of Coimbra on Friday. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture led a delegation that included Kong Chi Meng, Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, and the rectors of the University of Macau, Song Yonghua, and the Macau Polytechnic University, Im Sio Kei.

In the meeting with University of Coimbra Rector Amilcar Falcão, the representatives from the SAR universities signed cooperation protocols with the University of Coimbra, Renmin University of China, and Peking University Health Science Center.