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Following is a transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, at a media session at the lobby of West Wing, Central Government Offices, Tamar, this afternoon (April 25):
Reporter: Will it be difficult to differentiate whether a Mainland woman is married to a local man or not? How effective will the measures just announced be? Will the Government provide any financial assistance to Mainland expectant mothers married to Hong Kong residents for delivery in private hospitals?
Secretary for Food and Health: First of all, it is indeed very difficult to ascertain the marriage status of any individual at the immigration check-points of the border. The Immigration Department can only verify the marriage status of people who got married in Hong Kong. They have a marriage certificate issued by the Hong Kong authority. Any marriage conducted outside Hong Kong would not be subject to our scrutiny and verification. We need to have the related notary public on the Mainland to certify that kind of marriage status. Concerning the obstetrics fees of private hospitals, according to our communications with the four hospitals concerned, we of course cannot and would not set the fee or price for them. We do not even do that for our local mothers. But I can see that the private hospitals would charge the fees according to the affordability of this group of expectant mothers. I think it would be reasonable and affordable to most of them.
Reporter: Will this policy be too late for this group of mothers?
Secretary for Food and Health: I do not think it is too late. We have been trying to limit the number of Mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong because there is capacity issue within our obstetrics services. We are also concerned that if we have too many Mainland mothers who do not have a connection with Hong Kong at all, we cannot predict what the long-term impact of the babies born will be to Hong Kong. We have sympathy towards those women married to Hong Kong men because they will be more likely to settle down in Hong Kong in the future. This is the reason why we need to have two sets of policies for women who are not married to Hong Kong men and those married to local residents.
Reporter: Will this policy be considered as piecemeal?
Secretary for Food and Health: This is not a piecemeal policy. I have mentioned earlier on that we have an overall policy to limit the number of deliveries by the obstetrics services in Hong Kong. Of course, one of the main issues that time and again is being brought up is the right of abode in Hong Kong for the babies. That will need to be settled somehow eventually.
Reporter: Have you consulted the Chief Executive-elect C Y Leung on the new measure?
Secretary for Food and Health: I have informed him about our decision because this is a decision made by this term of Government. We expected that many of these Mainland women might be giving birth in 2012 and some of them even before end of June this year.
Reporter: Do you expect the next term of Government will continue to implement this policy?
Secretary for Food and Health: It is up to the next term of Government to consider. Looking at the progress we made and also the design of the scrutiny that we have done, it would be a very good reference for the next term of Government.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:22
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