A
private hospital has threatened to sue four companies providing intermediary
services for pregnant mainlanders after internet advertisements implied they
are connected to the hospital.
One of the companies, Hong Kong Baby.org,
displays on its website a sliding visual bar with the picture of St Paul's
Hospital in Causeway Bay under the column "Hospital Partners."
Also listed are 11 private and public
hospitals, including Precious Blood Hospital, Hong Kong Sanatorium &
Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The portal offers a golden package for 128,000
yuan (HK$157,565) consisting of tailor-made services such as professional
medical consultation, port-to-port pick-up service from the airport to rental
accommodation in the territory, reservation service for a hospital room as well
as handling the Hong Kong ID card and passports for the newborn.
St Paul's said "it's completely
untrue" it is connected to the baby portal.
A spokesman urged the internet portal to
remove all the false information, or face legal action.
Hong Kong Baby did not respond to e-mail
inquiries about the pictures and details on its website. The three other
companies are Xinlianxin, For-babys and Babyan.hk.
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital stated on
its website that it does not have any connection with mainland intermediaries.
The Hospital Authority said no public
hospitals have such arrangements with companies that arrange mainlanders to
give birth in Hong Kong.
If such activities are found, the authority
will hand over the case to the police for further investigation, a spokesman
added.
The remarks came in response to an online
concern group that accuses private hospitals of doing business with intermediaries
at the expense of locals.
The group, "It's time to say no!"
has more than 112,000 Facebook users and is leading a campaign against
mainlanders crossing the border to give birth here.
Some internet portals have used terms such as
"lodgings" to disguise the fact that apartments near public hospitals
are leased to mainlanders.
Secretary for Food and Health York Chow
Yat-ngok said the government has set a firm quota of 35,000 childbirths this
year, including 3,400 for public hospitals.
Candy Chan
The Standard
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