HK hospitals to give local mothers priority
Source: Xinhua |
April 3, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HONG Kong's Hospital Authority will stop making bookings for non-local pregnant women when public hospital maternity services reach capacity, according to the Hong Kong government.
Secretary for Food and Health York Chow also urged the private medical sector to take into account their capacity when offering services to non-local pregnant women.
Chow met public hospital medical staff on Friday to discuss the stress on local obstetrics and neonatal services arising from the increasing number of mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.
The number of babies born to Chinese mainland mothers in Hong Kong has risen from 13,000 in 2004 to more than 40,000 in 2010. According to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong have the right of abode, which partly resulted in an influx of mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong.
"It really puts pressure on our obstetrics services and neonatal intensive care units, and even the pediatrics services, and we need to address the issue for patients' safety and the interest of local expectant mothers," Chow said.
The health care of local expectant mothers should not be compromised under any circumstances. Hong Kong's Hospital Authority will reserve sufficient places for local pregnant women to ensure that they have priority over non-locals in the use of obstetric services, he said.
"We will meet representatives from private hospitals next week to see what remedial measures could be worked out on their side. With the concerted effort of all the parties concerned, we hope a multi-pronged solution could be formulated to address the issue," he added.
Secretary for Food and Health York Chow also urged the private medical sector to take into account their capacity when offering services to non-local pregnant women.
Chow met public hospital medical staff on Friday to discuss the stress on local obstetrics and neonatal services arising from the increasing number of mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.
The number of babies born to Chinese mainland mothers in Hong Kong has risen from 13,000 in 2004 to more than 40,000 in 2010. According to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong have the right of abode, which partly resulted in an influx of mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong.
"It really puts pressure on our obstetrics services and neonatal intensive care units, and even the pediatrics services, and we need to address the issue for patients' safety and the interest of local expectant mothers," Chow said.
The health care of local expectant mothers should not be compromised under any circumstances. Hong Kong's Hospital Authority will reserve sufficient places for local pregnant women to ensure that they have priority over non-locals in the use of obstetric services, he said.
"We will meet representatives from private hospitals next week to see what remedial measures could be worked out on their side. With the concerted effort of all the parties concerned, we hope a multi-pronged solution could be formulated to address the issue," he added.
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