Hospital Authority sees a 23pc decrease in number of non-residents giving birth
A $20,000 maternity charge for non-residents has cut the number of mainland women giving birth at Hong Kong's public hospitals by about 23 per cent in the five months since it was introduced.
Hospital Authority figures show that an average of 34 non-resident women - predominately mainlanders - gave birth in public hospitals each day since the fee was imposed in September, down from a daily average of 44 in August.
The charge was imposed to combat a multimillion-dollar drain on resources caused by mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong and not paying their bills.
The authority saw the bills unpaid by non-resident mothers escalate from $3.3 million in 2002-03 to $11.9 million in 2003-04 and $15.8 million in 2004-05.
Under the scheme, the women must pay a minimum upfront charge of $20,000 for a three-day package. Each day thereafter costs $3,300.
