Migrant groups cry foul over childbirth fee hike

Migrant groups are crying foul over the proposed nine-fold fee increase for the delivery services provided to non-resident parents, describing the move as discriminatory. According to them, if it is passed it will become another bill that does not benefit Macau’s migrants.

On Wednesday, public hospital Conde de São Januário (CHCSJ) proposed that the service fee of natural childbirth for non-local workers would be increased from the current MOP975 to MOP8,775 – a suggestion that angered migrant workers.

Former president of an Indonesian migrant group Eric Lestari noted that the proposed bill would mostly affect Filipino migrants, compared to the Indonesian or Vietnamese workers in Macau, as many Filipino families reside in the region.

Lestari has described the proposal as discriminatory against the migrant workers and tourists in Macau. She also argues that it may force pregnant women to do abortions, if they are unable to pay the hospital fee.

The CHCSJ proposed that natural delivery for tourists would increase from MOP1,950 to MOP17,750.

“It is cruel,” said the non-resident worker, adding that the increase is an example of imbalance. She recalled that domestic workers’ salaries start from MOP2,500, while MOP5,000 is the first bracket for other sectors.

“Labor rights are still poor and there is less protection from the Macau government. There is [also] no response to our demand to increase our salary, [increase] standard minimum wages and [renegotiate the] standard agency fee,” Lestari lamented.

“[It’s just like the] bus fare hike [proposal] which will only affect workers from overseas,” she recalled.

Although Lestari noted that there are rarely plans for these workers to get pregnant in the region, nor give birth in Macau, situations such as this are hard to predict.

Yosa Wariyanti, president of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union shared the same sentiments, stressing that the proposed bill shows discrimination against foreign women workers in Macau.

“Foreign workers contribute a lot to Macau’s economy and community and we [women] have the right to give birth with affordable fees,” she said.

Wariyanti also feared that the move would cause women to have unsafe deliveries such as giving birth at their respective homes due to families not being able to afford the hospital fees.

Childbirth delivery service fees are not the only fees that put a burden on these workers, as medical exams related to pregnancy have always been more expensive for non-residents, compared to local residents.

Local lawyer, Sérgio de Almeida Correia, also criticized the bill as an example of the Health Bureau again targeting vulnerable groups in the city.

“The persons affected by the decision of the Health Bureau are once again the most poor and unprotected, people that work day and night for the benefit of Macau SAR,” he told the Times (see column beside).

“People that pay taxes and that in the end have got nothing, not even a place to give birth… this is terrible,” the lawyer added.

In Hong Kong, mainland Chinese women are banned from giving birth in public hospitals because Hong Kong women were struggling to book hospital beds for delivery. The move by former chief executive CY Leung was made after fears arose that children to mainland parents born in Hong Kong would share the SAR’s health care, education and welfare benefits given that, unlike in Macau, they are entitled the right of abode.

Despite the ban, there were still some 800 non-local mothers who gave birth in the HKSAR in 2015, through emergency wards. No updated figures have been released.

CHCSJ director says increase is reasonable

THE DIRECTOR of CHCSJ Kuok Cheng U believes the proposal to increase the fee of delivering a baby for non-local parents is reasonable, according to a report by TDM. Kuok said that CHCSJ has been under increasing pressure over its Obstetrics and Gynecology services since 2016. After considering medical safety and proper use of the resources, CHCSJ decided to increase the fees for non-residents. In Kuok’s opinion, operating a hospital involves many factors, and reasonable and safe medical service must be reflected in the service fees.