The release of new land for private hospitals has raised concerns over how public resources should be used and by whom.
Legislator for the medical sector Leung Ka-lau said private doctors had been complaining that the waiting time for operations in private hospitals was getting longer because most operating slots had been allocated to mainland mothers wanting Caesarean sections.
The Hospital Authority has for the first time suspended maternity bookings from mainland women from September to December to ensure adequate provision for local mothers.
Dr Leung said that if private hospitals were given cheaper land premiums, quotas should be introduced to ensure local patients had access.
Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok said that if private hospitals were given cheaper land premiums, locals should get priority.
Private Hospitals' Association president Alan Lau Kwok-lam said private hospitals were only helping public hospitals meet the demand.
