Emergency rooms will not cope
The number of mainland women giving birth using public emergency rooms has risen by almost 80 per cent this year, prompting hospitals to prepare contingency plans to handle the influx.
Some mainland women have said they will rush to emergency rooms to give birth after failing to secure an obstetric booking at local hospitals.
Doctors expect the pressure on emergency rooms will continue to rise towards the end of the year as more mainland mothers affected by the government's cap on deliveries would give birth later this year. Winter is also the usual peak time.
The latest figures from the Hospital Authority show 519 mainland women gave birth via public emergency rooms from January to June 25, a 77.7 per cent increase from 292 during the same period last year.
This year's monthly figure rose significantly from 70 to 86 in the first four months, to 102 in May.
The Hospital Authority yesterday met doctors from obstetric, paediatric and accident and emergency departments. The authority's senior management asked individual units to enhance training for frontline staff to deal with emergency deliveries and to review staffing levels.
Doctors warned that it would be dangerous for both mothers and babies if deliveries went ahead without proper pre-natal checks.
Dr Chan Hin-biu, head of paediatric and neonatal intensive care at United Christian Hospital, said the stress on emergency rooms and neonatal intensive care units would peak in October and November.
'The likely scenario is that the eight public NICUs will not be able to immediately take care of referrals from private hospitals,' Chan said. 'Of course, we would have to take care of very urgent life-threatening cases, but for less urgent cases, such as babies with breathing difficulties, the responsibility would rest with the private hospitals until an NICU bed could be found at a public hospital.'
Chan's department may consider trimming non-emergency services and postponing staff leave during the peak period.
The Mainland-Hong Kong Families Rights Association says at least 95 mainland wives of Hong Kong residents who are due to give birth this year still cannot find an obstetric bed.
Director of Health Dr Lam Ping-yan said yesterday the government was liaising with private hospitals on how to free up some capacity for these women.
But association organiser, Tsang Koon-wing, said many cross-border families could not afford expensive private services.
'Public hospitals charge mainland mothers a fixed fee of HK$39,000, but private hospitals charge much more. Public hospitals have an obligation to take care of Hong Kong men's wives,' Tsang said.
3,400
The number of deliveries by mainland women expected in public hospitals next year. 31,000 will take place at private hospitals
