Same old story...No rooms

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familyinlimbo

New member
We relocated from the US to HKG due to a transfer while 5 months pregnant. When we visited the doctor he informed us that we probably would not be able to get a room since registering so late. After days of work we found 1 private hospital that claims they can help but other threads have indicated that this is no guarantee and its is very, very possible that we will be transferred to another hospital emergency room to have the baby (despite the fact that we have paid for a bed). Insurance is willing to pay 100% but due to the uncertainty it appears that we will have to temporarily relocate (appx 4 months) to another country to have the baby. Bumrungrad in Bangkok looks promising. Seems we have relocated here very legally, have HKG IDs, visas, and pay taxes here but illegals from the mainland are knocking us out.
 
Hi

I understand your frustration. i just came from canada 2 months ago. After visiting 6 different ob & my current ob got me confirm in a private hospital & also in a public hospital as a private patient due to medical complication. I have not gotten my HK id yet. If you need help i believe my ob would be able to get you a room in the hospital. I am due on 12th Nov.
 
What happens if you go into labor andy ou go to the emergency room, will they turn you away? I just don't understand how you can be expected to move to another country just to have your baby. that is insane!! What if you were travelling in HK and had a baby prematurly, of course you would not have pre booked a bed! I just don't understand why this system is set up this way!
 
Have you considered going the public route? Lots of people have very positive experiences (there are lots of threads on here). Afterall if there was a medical complication with your newborn or you were premature all private hospitals would send you to a public hospital like QMH anyway.
 
If you go for the public system then you'll get a bed no matter what. This is made simpler if you have a Hong Kong ID card but even without they will still look after you.

I knew a mother who was here on business and went into labour prematurely - she had her baby at Queen Mary hospital with no problems apart of the baby being 12 weeks premature.

It is the private hospitals that are full - or at least say they are full. The best way to get around this is to find an obstetrician who has a good relationship with the private hospital you want to have the baby at.

None of the private hospitals will look after very premature babies (35 weeks is the earliest they will usually take). And in the very unlikely event that the hospital is full when you arrive in labour they will send you to a public hospital instead - but then who would you want to stay if there was no room and no one to look after you while you labour?

Unlike the private hospitals the public hospitals can always find you a bed and midwives to help you. It is one of the advantages of their size.
 
familyinlimbo - those Mainland mothers delivering here are doing so legally, however frustrating it may be.

Capital - I've heard that private hospitals will and do turn away labouring mothers. They send them to a public hospital who will never turn anyone away.
 
Smiles said:
Have you considered going the public route? Lots of people have very positive experiences (there are lots of threads on here). Afterall if there was a medical complication with your newborn or you were premature all private hospitals would send you to a public hospital like QMH anyway.
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Excellent information. We had not considered that and will look at QMH today. I will also check with insurance to see if that works with them.
 
HI Jaz1311,

Thanks for your update. After reading the responses I think we will stick with the 1 private hospital that we found (St. Theresa) and then use QMH as a backup. Perhaps our public hospital fears may have been a bit unfounded. Good luck in November!!
 
Public Hospitals costs are nothing compared to Private hospitals. so u dont have to worry about insurance picking up the tab.
best of luck
 
familyinlimbo,

May I ask when you are due? I saw my HK OB at 17 weeks and she didn't make me feel so concerned about the bed availability at Mathilda, although she also didn't guarantee it.

I avoided this problem in 2006 with my first. I delivered at QMH and cost us 350hkd for a c-section.
 
About a month ago Union hospital was eagerly asking me if I wanted to book with them - they didn`t seem like they were full by any means.
But if you have the HK id then why not go the public route? The care is very good, and they are much better at handling any emergencies than the private ones.
I know Bumrungrad in Bkk - also Samitivej sukhumvit is a great hospital - if I was living in Thailand still I would have my baby there. But it sounds like a real hassle to go all the way to BKK to have the baby. I think HK is comparable.
Good luck~
 
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