public hospitals - over crowded

Hi,

Just wanted to hear from anyone who has given birth recently at a public hospital. I plan to deliver at Price of Wales in a month and have heard horror stories of overcrowding due to influx of mainland women giving birth in HK. Any good news appreciated. Can't afford private care so this is my only option.

cheers

The SCMP does love to publish scaremongering stories about mainland women cluttering up the hospitals here, but really, take them with a pinch of salt. Public hopitals are always busy, no matter which area you are being treated in, but you will get looked after, your baby will be delivered, everything will be ok.


(OK, I'm also giving birth in a public hospital in a couple of months, so maybe I'm trying to convince myself...)

Thanks for your email. I was sitting comfortable with it but my friend, who is actually mainland Chinese told me that in the Chinese papers they'd just released a figure saying 1 in 3 babies born in HK at the moment are to mainland women. It is just the lack of resources if they are truly being stretched by this influx...

The main problem with mainland women coming to give birth and that they arrive at the very last minute (they are here illegally and know they won't be sent back if in active labour) and the hospitals have no warning (haven't booked) or medical information. So it's rush, rush, rush.


The HKSAR and Beijing governments need to address this problem because it is on the increase. It takes necessary, vital resources away from HK people plus it puts the mother and baby at terrible risk; often these women are having a second or third children (which of course is illegal on the mainland) and have received no pre-natal care.

Let's not forget that the reason for the huge numbers of mainland women coming to HK is partly down to the huge numbers of HK men who prefer to marry them. The Hospital Authority is already exploiting the demand by charging a much higher rate for giving birth in HK (something like $20K), compared with getting any other kind of medical treatment (something like $3K a day).

I gave birth at the Prince of Wales 2 years ago. A typical maternity ward is divided into sections. One section has about 8 beds (maybe 10??) - I cannot remember. However within your section, you could also see the section on the opposite end (divided by a corridor) with another 8-10 beds. I was in there for 3 weeks due to complications. In my 3 weeks there, I found that there were days when there were only 2 occupants to a section and other days when the section would be full. It's really not that bad when the section is full. All the new mothers help each other out. Thank God for the new mother beside my bed who helped me get down from the bed after my c-section. The nurse wouldn't help because she wanted me to do it myself but the mother next to my bed understood that it wasn't so easy especially when I was desperate. She had a c-section 3 days earlier and helped me out of bed. The mother opposite me helped me pick up my pen when I dropped it (also after my c-section). Another gave me 2 bottles of unopened Lucozade and toilet rolls when she left hospital. Another gave me kiwi fruit when I told them I was constipated (sorry to be so gross).

However, you have to be prepared that the ward isn't as nice as the one you'll get in a private hospital... but it's HK$35k+ against a couple of hundred bucks. The only thing I didn't like was the toilets. They clean it daily but it's like the toilets you get at shopping centres (better than the ones at the train stations or the chinese restaurants though) - I'll give them credit for that. And you may have to queue up... usually one or two before you if the ward was full.

Mainlanders - yes, you will find that there are lots of mainlanders there... sometimes there's a police officer visiting as well... but all mothers are usually too busy to care. Plus you can pull curtains around you if you want privacy.

And the nurses are quite helpful if you want to breastfeed or use their pumps. Remember to tell them though.

Dear MayC,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It does sound like it can be busy, but with the curtains it gives some sense of privacy, will remember to pack the toilet paper! I have been in HK a long time and am ready for almost anything, just a little nervous that the staff will be so overworked from influx of mothers giving birth in HK to be able to over see everyone.

thanks again

I also strongly recommend wearing flipflops in the shower!

Me too. Flipflops is a MUST.


The staff can be quite busy but it depends on what kind of patient you are. I found that they are always ready to help whenever they can. I had complications and I cried a few times when I was in the ward and when I was wheeled into the delivery room (twice!!). But the staff at the labour and maternity wards were excellent. No matter how busy they were, they took time to talk to me. They even sent a pediatrician to talk to me because I was worried about premature delivery. They also spent time teaching me how to express milk. When the mother next to my bed couldn't get up to feed her baby (beside her), the nurse did it for her. This was in the middle of the night.


Did the nurses scold the patients? Well, yes, when one was so severely constipated that she kept buzzing the button for some suppositories. I can understand both sides. The patient was in agony and the nurse was busy.... but it happens.

But overall, they are okay.... don't compare with Matilda, though ;-)

Hi Boobear, I gave birth at the Prince Of Wales a few months ago and it was great. The ante-natal ward is horrible as everyone is packed in quite close to each other but you aren't there for long. Delivery was great - spotless, kind, helpful, held my hand when I cried! Then afterwards, they were so busy that they had to put me in a semi-private room instead of the ward so I had a room for just me and one other woman (plus our own bathroom). I would give birth there again without hesitation, but would find out about private or semi-private rooms first. Don't worry - it is a great hospital!

Thanks so much for your helpful advice and sharing your experience, especially 10 as your experience was so recent. I am so glad I posted here as my fears have all but disappeared. Thanks!