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| Hong Kong limits pregnant Chinese | Hong Kong limits pregnant Chinese |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| New rules are about to come into effect in Hong Kong, designed to limit the number of pregnant women arriving from mainland China to give birth. | New rules are about to come into effect in Hong Kong, designed to limit the number of pregnant women arriving from mainland China to give birth. |
| From midnight (1600 GMT) pregnant mainlanders must arrange a hospital booking in advance before being allowed entry into Hong Kong. | |
| Those who are more than seven months pregnant but have no booking will be turned back by immigration officials. | Those who are more than seven months pregnant but have no booking will be turned back by immigration officials. |
| Hong Kong says the influx of mainland women has strained health facilities. | Hong Kong says the influx of mainland women has strained health facilities. |
| The women are attracted by the chance to gain Hong Kong residency rights for their children, including health care and education. | The women are attracted by the chance to gain Hong Kong residency rights for their children, including health care and education. |
| A Hong Kong birth also allows women to circumvent China's one-child policy and can give them access to higher standards of medical care. | A Hong Kong birth also allows women to circumvent China's one-child policy and can give them access to higher standards of medical care. |
| Higher fees | Higher fees |
| Last year, some 12,000 mainlanders arrived to give birth, leaving Hong Kong's medical facilities struggling to cope. | Last year, some 12,000 mainlanders arrived to give birth, leaving Hong Kong's medical facilities struggling to cope. |
| Now hospitals there have set up a centralised booking system and set a quota for the number of mainland mothers allowed in. | Now hospitals there have set up a centralised booking system and set a quota for the number of mainland mothers allowed in. |
| As a further disincentive to cross-border births, Chinese mothers will now have to pay double the hospital fees of their Hong Kong counterparts. | As a further disincentive to cross-border births, Chinese mothers will now have to pay double the hospital fees of their Hong Kong counterparts. |
| These fees must be paid in advance, at an antenatal check, in order to obtain a confirmation certificate which allows re-entry into Hong Kong. | These fees must be paid in advance, at an antenatal check, in order to obtain a confirmation certificate which allows re-entry into Hong Kong. |
| Those over 28 weeks pregnant who do not have a certificate will be refused entry. | Those over 28 weeks pregnant who do not have a certificate will be refused entry. |
| The Hong Kong health department plans to send medical personnel to help immigration officials implement the new rules at border checkpoints. | The Hong Kong health department plans to send medical personnel to help immigration officials implement the new rules at border checkpoints. |
| Hong Kong's Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Patrick Nip said that the measures were designed to prioritise care for local women. | Hong Kong's Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Patrick Nip said that the measures were designed to prioritise care for local women. |
| "The new measures can also deter dangerous behaviour by non-local pregnant women in seeking last-minute hospital admission before delivery through accident and emergency departments," he said earlier this month when the rules were first unveiled. | "The new measures can also deter dangerous behaviour by non-local pregnant women in seeking last-minute hospital admission before delivery through accident and emergency departments," he said earlier this month when the rules were first unveiled. |
| Buy the BBC correspondent in Shanghai, Quentin Somerville, says some Chinese have criticised the measures as discriminatory. | Buy the BBC correspondent in Shanghai, Quentin Somerville, says some Chinese have criticised the measures as discriminatory. |
| The new measures will not apply to pregnant women of other nationalities. | The new measures will not apply to pregnant women of other nationalities. |