CHINA / Taiwan, HK, Macao |
Too many mainland births in Hong Kong(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-03-12 08:45 Authorities from both Hong Kong and the mainland should improve regulations to deal with the soaring number of pregnant mainland women traveling to Hong Kong to give birth, a government advisor said in Beijing on Saturday. They should consult each other on improvements 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, 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. The influx of pregnant mainland women has drawn fierce complaints from expecting 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. "Mainland authorities should improve medical services to narrow the gap with Hong Kong," Pan told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing CPPCC annual session. |
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