Choosing a hospital?!%@*

[mumto2]

Well thanks to a PM and just speaking to QMH, I have found out that QMH is actually still considered to be my catchment zone! lol Apparently you run into trouble if you need an ambulance because then they will take you to the nearest one, PMH for me...

 

[AmyH]

Glad you got it all sorted! Good luck with the pregnancy.

Amy

 

[fee]

Well I started out at POW (I lived in Tai Po) and moved to QMH (moved to south side) and had an elective c-section booked at Matilda Went through the whole registration process and clinics at both public hospitals. Then.... ended up with a home birth because baby was in an awful hurry (25 minutes all up!) and the ambulance took me to RuttonJee in Wan Chai, then to QMH. As I didn't think to pick up my registration card on the way to the ambulance QMH had no record of my registration so I had to go through the whole process again but, as I clearly needed to be admitted immediately they couldn't have cared less where I actually lived.

Having delivered at public hospitals for my first two (in New Zealand) I had no problems with the public system here. A little more 'clinical' in their approach but no real complaints. In the end, with all the ambulance transfers, the fact that my new born did not have HK ID (what's with that???) and the fact that he had to stay in the special care unit for a week (because he was born at home...) the total bill still came in under $1000. I can now set myself to dreaming of what I might do with the $100,000 we saved by not making it to Matilda!

 

[carang]

it doesn't matter if you baby has a HKID (how would that be possible)... what matters is that the MOTHER (the initial patient) has a HKID... that's why your bill was so little.

 

[fee]

no - my hubby had both our ID's but until we could also produce the birth cert we were expected to pay the 'non-resident' A&E charge at RuttonJee of $470. Just paid it to avoid the hassle of having to get back there with all the paperwork....

QMH did not have this problem.

 

[carang]

hmmmm.... that's very strange!

 

[mumto2]

that is weird Fee - they shouldn't have done that, if you produce a HKID of yours or hubby's, that's all is required for a child under 12. Still, I'm sure $470 didn't exactly break the bank ;-) lol As opposed to $100K... :-O

Wow about your birth story though! You're so cool and brave! Glad all turned out well. I also have visions of giving birth in the back of an ambulance or on the ferry!

 

[carang]

babies are charged $50 per day(i believe) so there is nothing wrong with what you paid, fee... that's the proper rate.

if he had required a HKID then you would have been paying well over $3000/day.