Health | Childbirth delivery service fee for non-residents may increase nine-fold

Hospital Conde de São Januário (CHCSJ) has proposed  adjusting the fees for the delivery service for non-resident parents, as mentioned in a press conference yesterday.

According to the deputy director of the Health Bureau (SSM) Ho Ioc San, the adjustment concerns two groups of people: non-resident workers and tourists. 

According to the proposal, the service fee of natural childbirth for non-local workers would be increased from the current MOP975 to MOP8,775. The increase for tourists would be bigger than the increase for blue-card holders. The price adjustment proposal for tourists is set at MOP 17,550 from the current MOP1,950.

Regarding a caesarean section (C-section), non-local workers have been suggested to pay MOP17,550 for the service, while they are paying MOP1,950 currently. For tourists, the service fee for a caesarean section would grow to MOP35,100 from current MOP3,900.

Ho noted that in 2017, and since mainland China implemented a two-child policy in 2016, 28 percent of CHCSJ’s delivery services were provided to non-local residents, and 20 percent of that 28 percent were tourists.

Moreover, CHCSJ has not adjusted the related surgery fee for 20 years.

CHCSJ has proposed to adjust delivery service fees to near market price based on the aforementioned two factors.

Ho also remarked that the price adjustment would not affect Macau residents; the proposal will only apply in cases where both parents are non-local residents. As long as one of the parents is a Macau resident, the family would not be charged the new price.

There has been no public consultation conducted for the proposal as yet, but the SSM deputy director claims that the proposal has been agreed to by many local organizations, including the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FOAM), the Macau General Union of the Neighborhood Associations, and the Women’s General Association of Macau.