HK hikes birth fees to stem flood of pregnant tourists

HONG KONG, Dec 22 (Reuters) Hong Kong has doubled medical charges for non-resident mothers giving birth in the city in an effort to stem a flood of mainland Chinese women from further crowding public maternity wards.

Hong Kong's Hospital Authority says 30 per cent of babies delivered in Hong Kong are born to non-native mothers, mostly from China, who are attracted by the territory's cheap, modern and well-run public hospitals.

Last year, more than 14,000 non-local women gave birth in the former British colony.

Yesterday the authority board endorsed plans to increase child delivery fees for basic three-day hospital treatment from HK,000 to HK,000, an increase of some 95 per cent.

Health officials called the increase ''reasonable'', and expected deliveries of non-eligible persons (NEP) to drop.

''The fee increase aims to ensure NEP expectant mothers would not be attracted to use the public obstetric services because of financial incentives,'' said Shane Solomon, the authority's chief executive.

Pregnant women who fail to declare their non-resident status and undergo antenatal tests will have to pay a higher fee of HK,000.

''It is hoped that, through the multi-pronged approach, the service capacity in obstetric and neonatal intensive care units in public hospitals can be augmented,'' said Solomon. The pressure on frontline staff would be alleviated, he said, and local Hong Kong mothers would have greater priority as a result.

The new charges will take effect early next year.

The surge of pregnant women from China into Hong Kong is a reflection of the increasing social integration of the territory with its hinterland since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Many residents of China's largest cities now hold special travel permits permitting visa-free travel to Hong Kong.

REUTERS MS RK0930