Authorities of both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland should
improve the regulations to deal with the soaring number of pregnant
mainland women traveling to Hong Kong to give birth there, an
advisor said?in Beijing on?Saturday.
They should consult each other for the improvement according to
the capacity of Hong Kong's medical resources, said Pan Guiyu, a
member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's
top advisory body.
Many pregnant mainland women are reported to be traveling to
Hong Kong to take advantage of the inexpensive but high-quality
medical facilities, and try to obtain citizenship rights for their
children, said Pan, also vice minister in charge of the State
Commission of Population and Family Planning.
The influx of pregnant mainland women has drawn fierce
complaints from local expectant mothers in Hong Kong, many of whom
say they have arrived at hospital on their due dates only to be
refused admission because of a shortage of beds.
"The mainland authorities should improve its medical services to
narrow the gap with Hong Kong," said Pan at a press conference on
the sidelines of the ongoing CPPCC annual session which almost runs
parallel with one of the country's parliament.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong and mainland authorities should make joint
efforts to "heighten the awareness of mainland citizens on the laws
and regulations of Hong Kong in this regard."
Also, a small not number of the pregnant mainland women who
traveled to Hong Kong just in an attempt to shun the "one family,
one child" family planning policy of the mainland, Pan told
reporters.
Hong Kong announced in January rules to limit the number of
mainland women who are at least seven months pregnant from entering
Hong Kong unless they are booked into a local hospital. The rules
took effect in February.
(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2007)