Obstetrics crisis looms as premium hike bites
Doctors say they cannot afford the rising cost of medical insurance
Some obstetricians will soon stop delivering babies to avoid rocketing insurance costs, the profession has warned.
The premium paid by the city's obstetricians to the Medical Protection Society, the only organisation insuring doctors for medical indemnity, has risen this year from about $50,000 to nearly $100,000.
Obstetrics is regarded as the most risky medical practice. General practitioners who do not undertake obstetrics or cosmetic procedures pay $19,500 a year.
British representatives from the society will fly to Hong Kong next month to discuss next year's premiums with doctors.
The society has already warned of a 60 to 100 per cent increase for obstetricians next year, pushing the premium to between $160,000 and $200,000.
The local medical profession is calling for a cap on compensation for patients and government financial assistance for doctors who cannot afford the premium.
William So Wai-ki, spokesman for the college of obstetricians and gynaecologists, said that among the 400 specialists in the field in Hong Kong, about half work for public hospitals and are protected by the Hospital Authority.
'The remaining 200 specialists in the private sector are now bearing most of the payouts,' Dr So said.
Without giving any numbers, he said obstetricians were increasingly considering stopping deliveries and concentrating on treating gynaecological conditions to avoid the higher premiums.
'In the United States and Australia, some doctors have already stopped delivering babies for the same reason. Hong Kong will very likely follow the same trend soon,' Dr So said.
Doctors working in high-risk specialist areas can pay more than US$200,000 a year for insurance in the US and more than A$60,000 ($364,700) in Australia.
Medical sector legislator Kwok Ka-ki said the premium for Hong Kong obstetricians had been pushed up after victims' families in three serious medical blunders this year had asked for payouts totalling $100 million.
'Delivery is a basic duty for a specialist in obstetricians and gynaecology, but now they are forced to give up half of their profession,' Dr Kwok said. 'This situation is worrying. It is also a loss to society that these well-trained doctors cannot provide services to the public.'
The high premium also causes hardship to young doctors who have to switch to private practice after six years of specialist training at public hospitals.
Dr Kwok called on the government to provide financial assistance to young obstetricians who cannot afford to pay the premium when they first start their clinics. On average, a local obstetrician charges between $10,000 and $20,000 for a natural delivery, so a doctor must deliver 16 babies a year to pay the premium.
