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Hong Kong health authorities are limiting the number of pregnant women from mainland China who give birth in Hong Kong, in order to reserve resources for local expecting mothers. The measures have raised concern though, with legislators calling for mainland women who are married to Hong Kong men, to be able to obtain the same maternity services as local women.
Many mainland Chinese women are opting to give birth in Hong Kong so their children can obtain permanent residency there. But Hong Kong residents complain it is affecting the level of service and care they receive in local hospitals. Now, Hong Kong health authorities are limiting the number of mainland women who can give birth there.
Last year 44,000 mainland women had babies in Hong Kong, a quarter of them in public hospitals, according to official data. The overall quota has been lowered to 35,000 this year, and according to the Secretary for Food and Health, York Chow Yat-ngok, the number will be cut again next year.
[York Chow Yat-ngok, Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health]:
"We plan to accept no more than 3,000 in our public system next year, or even less than this. We also haven't ruled out that, if more and more mainland women are registering to give birth here, we will stop accepting them altogher."
[...]
[Audrey EU Yuet-mee, Legislative Council Member]:
"If their husbands are Hong Kong men, they should be able to give birth here. Because regardless of where they're from, Hong Kong men's wives should be able to apply to give birth here, but right now because they are mainlanders, there are delays."
Secretary York Chow Yat-ngok says the limitations targets all mainland women because it's difficult to verify their marrital status when they cross the border into Hong Kong.
