Use of Public Hospital

1

1st_time_dad

Registered User
Hi all,

I have been working in HK for the last 3 and half years, and have the HK ID card. But my wife is a China national, and doesn't have the ID. What kind of rate would we be charged for giving birth at a public hospital in HK? If we can't enjoy the preferential rate for ID cardholders, then we might as well go to a private hospital.

Thank you for the information
 
as far as i know, it's the patient, ie the mother, that needs to have a HKID....
but you could call the hospital authority to find out for sure...
 
It's not difficult to apply for a HKID card for your wife. She will be your dependant and have her own HKID card. Are there any restrictions for China national to have an HKID card? I am sure not coz I have seen a Chinese girl (with China passport) applying the card in front of me.

It is expensive to go private. If you can go public, why not? All it takes is one afternoon in WanChai immigration tower.
 
A friend who delivered at Queen Mary last summer told me the hospital was really busy with Mainland women. Not sure if the rules are different, best to give the hospital a call and check.

Rani
 
Yes, I have heard that the government is trying to crack down on illegitimate mainland Chinese giving birth in HK as it is costing HK too much. But since you guys are married and you have a HKID card by merit, you should have no problem in getting her a card too.

Check with the Immigration department first if you are not sure. http://www.immd.gov.hk/index.html

And good luck! Once she is registered, at least you have a choice to go public or private. And can even do a combination e.g. have prenatal checkups in private clinic, then delivery in public hospital such as Queen Mary.

Private hospital delivery (including doctors fee) should amount to a minimum of 45K. This doesn't include the prenatal checkups, roughly about 15K I think including tests. Check with your insurance now to see how much you are covered. That would put things into perspective and help you to decide whether you should go private or public.

Sunny
 
I think HK$3000 per night should be if you use the private system within Prince of Wales. Queen Mary is a government ie. public hospital but they also offer private facilities and I read the price can be just as high as if you opt to deliver in private hospitals like Adventist, Canossa, or Mitilda.

Otherwise you should expect to pay very little (less than $1000) for the whole delivery (include hotel stay) at a public hospital. Did hear that the food is really really horrible though, haha.
 
Hello,

You are not eligable for the public system if you DO NOT have an HKID...this is boldly stated all over the QHM( public ) hospital where I had my baby 3 weeks ago....it does not matter if your husband is a HKID card holder or not...it's the mother who has to have a HKID.....The cost for a NON HKID holder is almost as high a going to a private hospital...but u will need to check with the public hospital...so I guess ur best bet is to see IF ur wife is eligible for an HKID cards or then you may have to go private.


Hope this helps....
 
Thank you all for the replies and advices. We have been trying to get a HKID for my wife for some time, and seems that the law in HK is that unless you are a British National/a Permanent HKID cardholder/a China National with a HK work visa, your spouse cannot apply for a HKID. Since I am a US citizen, we don't qualify. I guess it's the private hospital then
 
that doesn't seem to make any sense...
i think that the problem is that your wife is from the mainland.
the Hk authorities are terribly racist when it comes to mainlanders(my local hubby would agree completely)

many many many many people here have spouses with different nationalities from themselves and both spouses have HKID cards. one spouse gets a work visa/investment visa etc and the other gets a dependent visa.

anyway, i'm sorry that you'll have the expense of a private birth. but just console yourself that it will be a wonderful experience and nothing like a birth at a public hospital(i had a baby by emergency c-section at a public hospital and it was truly an awful experience and i wouldn't wish it on anyone...although the nurses that took care of me for 2 weeks beforehand were great!)
 
Im a bit concerned by Cara's (implied) correlation between her "truly awful" childbirth experience and public hospitals. Fact is, myself and many, many women have had more than satisfactory childbirth experiences in Hong Kong's public hospitals. The care is professional, curteous and thorough and I think youd be doing the medical profession in HK's public hospitals a disservice by implying otherwise. I also think it's wrong for her to make sweeping assumptions that a private hospital will somehow automatically make childbirth a wonderful experience.
 
Strange, I thought as long as you have an HK working visa, no matter whichever country you are from, your spouse can apply HKID as your dependant. Do double-check with the immi dept. There is a help line you can ring up.

Private hospital is not cheap as you know. The cost I mention previously was for a normal birth. Should there be any complications, the cost will escalate. I have read people paying over 100K for it. Just be ready for that.

On the positive side, your wife should receive better care at private hospitals. You will be treated well too and allowed to go into labour as well as delivery room with her and visiting hours are more generous. All the best!

Sunny
 
my birthing experience was TRULY AWFUL.....
that was what i said, i did not say that everyone's was the same...

i was hospitalised 4-5 times throughout my pregnancy, so i came to know the staff quite well...

the nurses on the ward were fantastic(as i sad earlier)...my birth went something like this...

although i'd been in the hospital for 2 weeks prior to my deliver, because they hadn't bothered to schedule the c-section, they considered it an emergency. they refused to let my husand in for the birht. i was rushed in because my BP had skyrocketed. I tried to explain to them that i would be much calmer if my hubby were allowed to accompany me....NO CAN DO......

finally, once in the operating theatre and the operation was underway, I COULD FEEL IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was EXCRUCITATINGLY PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the anesthesiologist was very good, tried to up the epi... already frozen to my neck couldn't give me any more, so gave me gas.....IT WAS STILL EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

finally, finished the operation, wheeled me into the recovery... no one told my hubby that both mother and baby were fine... he was left for over 5.5 hours to wonder what had happened....


and that's just the start....

so , yes, my experience was absolutely horrible....i have had other friends that have given birht public and they were OK... however, my friends that have given birht privately have RAVED about it!

so, from MY EXPERIENCE, the public hospitals get the job done, the private ones do it with as much comfort as possible!

how is that a disservice?
 
Well done - youve probably now scared the living daylights out of anyone about to give birth in a public hospital.
 
it was not my intention to scare anyone... i think that women are scared enough going into labour/delievery.

however, you questioned my experience.

if i had the option of private hospital, i would take, as i'm sure most of us would.

in a public hospital, you pay for the medical procedure.
in a private hospital, you pay for the procedure AND the comfort.

i never assumed that other people didn't have other experiences. as a matter of fact, i'm hoping to have another baby later this year, early next year....where will i go?

back to the public hopsital.

in the end i got a wonderful, healthy baby boy, whom i wouldn't give up for the world!

that's what counts afterall, isnt' it?
 
Last edited:
ag1 said:
Well done - youve probably now scared the living daylights out of anyone about to give birth in a public hospital.
Click to expand...

No need for SARCASM here on this forum. Everyone is entitled to tell his/her story and most of us appreciate different experience posted here. Their bad experience can help us to be better prepared for the worst. They (good and bad experience) all help in giving us a more balanced view, thus, assist us in our decision making.

The decision is ours, afterall.
 
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