The junior health minister yesterday sought to justify fresh curbs on mainland mothers-to-be giving birth in Hong Kong by saying the move would be good for their babies.
Professor Gabriel Leung said doctors who allowed mainland women to give birth early risked their babies' health and put hospitals under pressure.
'Some mothers arranged to deliver babies in the 35th or 36th week of pregnancy. This adds a burden to hospitals' neonatal intensive care units. If we can prevent this happening, it will be good for the babies,' Leung said.
The undersecretary for food and health was speaking after Private Hospitals Association chairman Dr Alan Lau Kwok-lam admitted some doctors were arranging for women to deliver babies prematurely within 24 hours of first seeing them.
On Thursday the government said it would tighten up its scrutiny of the doctors' certificates mainland mothers-to-be must present in order to give birth at city hospitals.
The issuing of certificates will be centralised to stop unscrupulous doctors and middlemen on the mainland issuing them, and doctors issuing the certificates must follow new guidelines when determining whether a pregnancy is normal. Women whose pregnancies are not deemed normal will not be permitted to give birth in Hong Kong. The Food and Health Bureau will co-operate with the Immigration Department to stop pregnant women from rushing across the border.
The moves are the latest of several intended to stem the flood of mainlanders giving birth in the city, which is putting a strain on hospitals. Mainland women have been banned from booking births in Hong Kong for the rest of this year.