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A Government spokesman today (December 28) reiterated that according to the "zero quota" policy promulgated earlier, all public hospitals will not accept any bookings by non-local pregnant women for delivery in Hong Kong from January 1, 2013 onwards. Private hospitals have also unanimously agreed to stop accepting bookings from Mainland pregnant women whose husbands are not Hong Kong permanent residents for delivery in Hong Kong in 2013. For those Mainland pregnant women whose husbands are Hong Kong permanent residents, or Hong Kong residents who came to Hong Kong on One-way Permits who have made bookings at local private hospitals for delivery in 2013 under the special arrangements, their identity and their marital relations with their husbands will be subject to stringent verification by the Government in order to forestall anyone posing as spouses of Hong Kong residents for delivery in Hong Kong.
As for complementary immigration and other measures, the Immigration Department, the Office of the Licensing Authority of the Home Affairs Department and other law enforcement agencies will step up interception and enforcement actions against Mainland pregnant women whose husbands are not Hong Kong permanent residents. The measures include strengthening immigration examination of all Mainland pregnant women, combating illicit agency activities assisting Mainland pregnant women to give birth in Hong Kong, and stepping up inspection and enforcement against suspected unlicensed guesthouses. These measures aim to deter Mainland pregnant women without prior delivery bookings from entering Hong Kong and gatecrashing the Accident and Emergency Departments (A&EDs), or entering Hong Kong early in order to evade immigration examination, and going into hiding and waiting to gatecrash A&EDs.
The spokesman also stressed that the Government will closely monitor the utilisation of local obstetric services by non-local pregnant women in 2013, and will take resolute actions to tackle the situation as appropriate.
Ends/Friday, December 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:00
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