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Hospital Authority response to media on obstetric services
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     In response to media enquiries on the meeting of the Hospital Authority (HA) Taskforce on Obstetric Services for Non-eligible Persons (NEPs) today (February 16), the HA gave the following reply:

     In the meeting today, the Taskforce reviewed and gave updates on booking for deliveries in public hospitals in 2012, and also discussed the obstetric services provision for 2013.

     A review of the current year's booking situation showed that there is higher demand from local expectant mothers than what was original forecast. As a result, Princess Margaret Hospital has ceased to accept bookings from non-local mothers for the rest of 2012, while Queen Mary Hospital will also adjust and reduce the obstetric quota for non-locals in coming months.

     The Taskforce members also deliberated on the service capacities and priorities for local expectant mothers in 2013, and the consequential demand for neonatal services. The priority for local pregnant women in booking obstetric services was reiterated and agreed among the members, and a preliminary plan was proposed on the obstetric service quota for non-locals in 2013.

     The proposed plan will be submitted to the Food and Health Bureau later this month for consideration against the territory-wide supply and demand situation of obstetric services in both the public and private sectors.

     "The Taskforce recommended that four public hospitals (Kwong Wah Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital) should not accept booking of non-local mothers next year, while the quota of the remaining four hospitals (Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital and United Christian Hospital) could be further reduced to below 3,000 in total," said the HA Director (Cluster Services), Dr Cheung Wai-lun, who chaired the meeting today.

     "The prime responsibility of our hospitals is to ensure adequate and up-to-standard services for local mothers as well as the newborns. We will closely monitor the service booking situation of local and non-local expectant mothers and will adjust the service quota to ensure local demand is always met," Dr Cheung said in order to reassure local pregnant women.

     The HA Taskforce on Obstetric Services for NEPs was established in early 2007 to discuss issues related to the provision of obstetric services and neonatal services amid the surge in non-local expectant mothers using public hospital services. Core members of the Taskforce come from the departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics.

Ends/Thursday, February 16, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:53

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