Travel and Tourism in Macau

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Several major hospitals in Macau have adequate medical facilities, and Kiang Wu and Conde de Sao Januario hospitals are able to provide emergency medical care. The U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong maintains a list of medical providers in Macau on the consulate website. Highly developed medical facilities and trained personnel are available in Hong Kong, which is about an hour by jetfoil and 10 minutes by helicopter from Macau.

Accessibility

While in Macau, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. The People's Republic of China, including the Special Administrative Region of Macau, is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Macau law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other state services, and the government generally enforces these provisions. The law mandates access to public buildings, usually in the form of a ramp, for persons with physical disabilities. Cross-walks are also required in Macau, and they generally include audible signals for hearing-impaired and raised-treading for visually-impaired pedestrians. Handicap accessible parking is mandated in publically owned parking lots. The Social Welfare Bureau is primarily responsible for coordinating and funding public assistance programs to persons with disabilities. In general, the historic part of Macau is hilly and the pavement uneven, but the newer parts, particularly around the CoTai strip, are flat, and the streets and sidewalks are wide. The airport is accessible, and the ferries from Hong Kong to Macau are accessible with assistance from the staff. Major hotels and casinos, taxis, and public transportation offer widely available shuttle buses, but none is equipped with special equipment to accommodate the physically disabled. For Macau residents who are mobility impaired, the Social Welfare Bureau offers free transportation to medical appointments by accessible van through their Rehabilitation Bus Service. Accessible van rental and Macau tours for the mobility impaired are available through Macau Barrier Free Tourism (tel. 853 2840 3315 or 853 6289 6796, e-mail: macaubarrierfreetourism@yahoo.com.hk Website in Chinese only).