The other day, I noticed two expectant mothers working in a coffee shop in BG Perdana. 'Productive' place I thought, but soon I realized that one of the reasons was due to the wish for Dragon babies among Chinese in particular. With the Chinese, the impact of 'kiasuism' in anything always creates magnified effects, resulting in greater demand for certain products or services. Businessmen are likely to provide the supply and make good profits. Very predictable indeed. The other point is that when it comes to mainland Chinese, the sheer number would overwhelm even the best of planned services.
Excerpt from a news report:
"Lee says she tried to book a maternity bed at her gynaecologist's hospital soon after she found out she was pregnant, but it was already too late.
"I couldn't get my preferred private hospital to deliver even though I'm willing to pay and both me and my husband are Hong Kong residents," she says.
"Some friends told me I should start registering my Dragon baby girl for kindergarten - it's like a fight for hospitals, a fight for schools. I have to remind myself to take it easy."
Mainland mothers accounted for 38,043 out of 80,131 births in Hong Kong last year.
In the last Year of the Dragon in 2000, the number of births jumped 5.6 per cent from the previous year, according to official data.
In anticipation of a baby boom the government has tightened entry rules, stepped up border controls and capped hospital places for mainland mothers.
Mainland women have reportedly taken to smuggling their precious cargoes into the territory under baggy clothes, or renting Hong Kong apartments in the early stages of pregnancy to avoid detection.
Some desperate women have even resorted to waiting until the last minute to force their way into Hong Kong emergency wards. Hospital authorities say emergency births tripled last year.
"The issue is far more complicated than we imagine," says Cheung Tak Hong, head of the obstetrics department at Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital, a government hospital near the Chinese border.
"The system just cannot cope. The increase in the manpower and facilities just cannot catch up with the demand from China. There are far too many pregnant women from China coming to give birth in Hong Kong."
The doctor, who is a spokesman for the Hong Kong Obstetrics Concern Group, says mainland women are putting the lives of themselves and their babies at risk.
"They have no bookings, we don't have their records, we don't know them beforehand and all of a sudden they come here in advanced labour. That puts a lot of pressure on our staff," he says."
Source:
'Dragon babies' stretch resources
'Dragon babies' stretch resources
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