Hong Kong may bar mainland mothers from giving birth in public hospitals next year to battle the over-crowding in local maternity wards, the city's health chief said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Health Chief York Chow said that all public hospital obstetric services are expected to be reserved for local pregnant mothers in 2013.

The comments came after the leader-elect, Leung Chun-ying, said that private hospitals should bar mainland mothers and that their newborns will no longer be able to claim permanent residence in the city.

"If they apply now and prepare to come to Hong Kong next year to deliver their babies, in all likelihood, their babies will not have permanent residency status in Hong Kong because once I assume office, I will surely take action on this," Leung said on Tuesday.

Leung did not say if the city would pass laws or use other methods to stop the children of mainland parents from gaining permanent residency in Hong Kong.

Chow said that he was in touch with Leung and respected his view of suspending the quota system, but a final decision had yet to be made.

Private hospitals that increasingly rely on maternity services said a sudden policy change would have a major impact.

(China.org.cn April 19, 2012)

路透社報道，香港衛生局長周二表示，該市明年或禁止大陸孕婦在公共醫院生產，以緩解當地產房待產者過多的狀況。

香港衛生局局長周一岳說，2013年，所有公共醫院的產科服務可能會預留給本地孕婦。

此前，候任特首梁振英表示，私立醫院應不再接受大陸孕婦，而她們的嬰兒將不再能獲得該市的永久居住權。

梁振英周二說：“如果她們現在報名準備明年來香港產子，很可能屆時她們所生的嬰兒會沒有永久居民身份，我一上任肯定會做這個工作。”

梁振英沒有說該市是否會立法或用其它辦法來禁止大陸父母的子女獲得香港永久居住權。

周一岳說，他和梁振英保持聯系，尊重他取消配額體制的意見，但最終決定還沒達成。

私立醫院表示，政策突變會產生很大的影響，因為它們越來越依靠接產服務來生存。