Births by non-Hong Kong residents in public hospital accident and emergency departments have dropped 92.2% since the Hospital Authority implemented the new obstetric service arrangements in 2007.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow told lawmakers today the number of local residents giving birth in public hospitals has grown 8.7%.

According to provisional figures for the first half of this year, there were 16,724 babies born in Hong Kong to Mainland women, making up 44% of the total number of live births in the city. Of these, 29% were delivered in public hospitals and 71% in private hospitals.

A Census & Statistics Department survey on babies born in Hong Kong to Mainland women conducted early this year showed 52% of parents, with the father a local permanent resident, said their babies would stay in Hong Kong.

Of the remaining 48%, about 86% of them said they would take their babies to the Mainland immediately but definitely or probably would bring them back to Hong Kong before the age of 21.

For babies whose fathers are not local permanent residents, only 2% of the parents said their babies would stay in Hong Kong to live. Of the other 98%, about 28% of the parents would take their babies to the Mainland immediately but definitely or probably would bring them back to Hong Kong before the age of 21.