Guangzhou Labour and Social Security Bureau revealed last week that 90% of the pregnant migrant workers in the city could not afford to give birth at licensed hospitals. Instead, they could only give birth with the assistance of unlicensed midwives. There are 300,000 female migrant workers in the city and most of them are not covered by medical insurance, let alone maternity insurance. Statistics shows that 90% of childbirth deaths take place at the unlicensed clinics. The bureau plans to release a new policy which provides medical insurance to female migrant workers, including free childbirth at hospitals.
Luo Xiaoqing, a public health official in Baiyun District of Guangzhou, told Guangzhou Daily that there were 38 unlicensed midwives in the district and she had complained to the police several times, urging them to punish the midwives' illegal practice. She named one midwife, Lin Xiaoyin, who caused three childbirth deaths in the last six years. These midwives used to be "barefoot doctors" or in some cases, garbage collectors from rural areas.
Migrant workers' low income and the high prices at the hospitals give rise to a demand for unlicensed midwives. Although the government gives each pregnant worker a subsidy of 800 yuan for childbirth, most hospitals charge more than 1,000 yuan per delivery. Unable to afford these high medical fees, most of these women give birth in illegal clinics.
In order to combat illegal clinics, Zhang Jieming, director of Guangzhou Labour and Social Security Bureau, said the bureau would release a new policy later this year to provide female migrant workers with maternity insurance. By then, they could enjoy the same rights as local women and their expenses for childbirth will be exempted in hospitals.
17 October 2005
Sources: Mingpao (9 October 2005), Guangzhou Daily (8 October 2005)