Press Releases
New measures on obstetric services and immigration control announced (with video)
The Government today (January 16) announced new arrangements for medical
services and supporting immigration measures, aimed at ensuring that local
pregnant women would be provided with proper and priority obstetric services and
restricting the number of non-local pregnant women giving birth in Hong Kong to
a level that can be supported by Hong Kong's healthcare system.
"The new measures can also deter dangerous behaviour by non-local pregnant women
in seeking last-minute hospital admission before delivery through the Accident
and Emergency Departments," a government spokesman said.
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, and the Secretary for
Security, Mr Ambrose Lee, have already explained the Government's policy and
measures for dealing with this issue in a motion debate at the Legislative
Council meeting on January 10.
In respect of medical services, the Hospital Authority will implement a central
booking system for obstetric services starting from February 1. Under the
booking system, all pregnant women, including Mainland women planning to deliver
in Hong Kong, must make prior arrangements with hospitals here and undergo
antenatal examinations.
The Hospital Authority will reserve sufficient places for local pregnant women
to ensure that they have priority over Non-eligible Persons (NEPs) (i.e. persons
not holding Hong Kong Identity Cards) in the booking of obstetric services. If
extra places are available, the authority will accept bookings from non-local
pregnant women. However, once service capacity is reached, the authority will
stop making bookings for non-local pregnant women.
With the new service arrangement, hospitals would be better placed to manage
their obstetric services and make appropriate preparations and deployment before
the pregnant women are admitted.
With effect from February 1, the authority will increase the minimum amount of
the Obstetric Package Charge for NEPs �V $39,000 for those with a booking, and
$48,000 for those without one. The fee has to be paid in full at the time of
booking. The authority will issue a booking confirmation certificate to NEPs who
have secured a booking and made payment.
The Government has already discussed the new measures with the Hospital
Authority and private hospitals. All private hospitals offering obstetric
services support the new measures. They will similarly issue a booking
confirmation certificate to pregnant women who have secured a booking and paid a
deposit for the necessary inpatient services.
In addition, the authority would expand service and strengthen manpower to cope
with the increasing demand for obstetric services and neonatal care. The
authority would ensure that local women would be provided with proper and
priority obstetric services.
In respect of supporting immigration measures, the Immigration Department will
step up arrival clearance checks for all non-local pregnant women who are at an
advanced stage of pregnancy. To minimise disputes, women who have been pregnant
for seven months (i.e. 28 weeks) or above will be deemed to be at an advanced
stage of pregnancy. Final decision on the entry of a particular visitor or
otherwise will rest with relevant officers.
Starting from February 1, pregnant Mainland women who are suspected of entering
Hong Kong to give birth will be asked by immigration officers upon entry to
produce the booking confirmation certificates issued by Hong Kong hospitals to
prove that a local hospital has confirmed the arrangements for their admission
to the hospital. Those who fail to do so may be denied entry. The Government
will continue to discuss the arrangements with the Mainland authorities
concerned.
As for non-local pregnant women from places other than the Mainland, given that
there are only isolated cases of such women giving birth in Hong Kong, the
Government will not request them to produce a booking confirmation certificate
before approving their entry applications at this stage. Nevertheless, arrival
clearance checks on these women will be increased.
The staff of the Immigration Department will be assisted by medical staff to
implement the new measures at the control points, for instance, providing advice
on the physical condition of pregnant women.
Ends/Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:44
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