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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The task force for obstetric services of the Hospital Authority (HA) held a meeting today (April 8) to discuss the demand and supply of obstetric services in public hospitals and the corresponding measures. HA decided that the booking for delivery in public hospitals will be closed from today for non-local pregnant women if their expected delivery dates fall within April to end of December 2011 to ensure the adequate provision of obstetric services for local expectant mothers.
The HA spokesman said a series of measures for obstetric services have been implemented in public hospitals since February 1, 2007 to ensure sufficient places for local pregnant women as well as managing the demand on obstetric services by non-local women.
These new measures so far have been successful in managing the number of non-local pregnant women giving birth in public hospitals and allowing HA to devote its capacity for local pregnant women. The number of non-local women giving birth in public hospitals has been reduced by 10.5 percent in 2010 as compared with that in 2006 whilst the number of local women giving birth in public hospitals has increased by 13.5 percent in 2010 as compared with 2006 (see appendix).
"The increasing trend of local pregnant women giving birth in public hospitals is projected to continue this year. In the light of this increasing trend, proactive measures have to be implemented to ensure that the available capacity in public hospitals would be sufficient to meet the demand from local pregnant women. It is therefore necessary for HA to suspend the delivery booking for non-local women from now on until end of December 2011," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, April 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:03
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