انگیزش ها و تجارب گردشگران پزشکی سرزمین اصلی چین در هنگ کنگ

Medical tourism has been developing very rapidly in recent years and Hong Kong has emerged as a new medical tourism destination. The purpose of the study is to explore the motivations and experiences of a sample of medical tourists in Hong Kong and hence semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with obstetric patients from Mainland China. The findings indicate that one of the most important reasons for their traveling to give birth in Hong Kong was to avoid China’s ‘One Child’ policy. Variations in staff attitudes were also found among different hospitals and even in the same hospital. The findings also suggest that perceived discrimination by the medical tourists emerges in the form of less favourable service and less information sharing.

Medical tourism describes the phenomenon of people traveling across international borders to obtain health care. Medical tourism has been developing rapidly in many countries and regions such as India, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan. For example, in 2006, there were 410,000 medical tourists visiting Singapore, which generated around USD 900 million Singapore:pioneering reputation draws customers, 2008 and Tsoi, 2008). The Hong Kong government has identified six new key areas for future development, one of which is to develop Hong Kong into a medical hub. Medical tourism started in Hong Kong in the form of Mainland mothers giving birth at local hospitals. The number of such medical tourists has increased from 620 in 2001 by nearly fifty times within a decade. In 2009, out of 58,994 mothers giving birth in Hong Kong, 29,766 were from the Chinese Mainland, constituting approximate 50% of all births and approximate 60% of all the non-local patients in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Health Authority, 2009, Mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong do not regret, 2010 and The Government Information Centre of Hong Kong, 2008). Private hospitals have been proactive in attracting and benefiting from the growth of this market. For some private hospitals, around 70% of their obstetric patients are from the Chinese Mainland (Legislative Council, 2009). This study seeks to investigate motivations and experiences of obstetric patients’ during their medical stay in Hong Kong.

Medical tourism describes the phenomenon of people traveling across international borders to obtain health care. Medical tourism has been developing rapidly in many countries and regions such as India, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan. For example, in 2006, there were 410,000 medical tourists visiting Singapore, which generated around USD 900 million Singapore:pioneering reputation draws customers, 2008 and Tsoi, 2008). The Hong Kong government has identified six new key areas for future development, one of which is to develop Hong Kong into a medical hub. Medical tourism started in Hong Kong in the form of Mainland mothers giving birth at local hospitals. The number of such medical tourists has increased from 620 in 2001 by nearly fifty times within a decade. In 2009, out of 58,994 mothers giving birth in Hong Kong, 29,766 were from the Chinese Mainland, constituting approximate 50% of all births and approximate 60% of all the non-local patients in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Health Authority, 2009, Mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong do not regret, 2010 and The Government Information Centre of Hong Kong, 2008). Private hospitals have been proactive in attracting and benefiting from the growth of this market. For some private hospitals, around 70% of their obstetric patients are from the Chinese Mainland (Legislative Council, 2009). This study seeks to investigate motivations and experiences of obstetric patients’ during their medical stay in Hong Kong.