A LOTTERY system for appointments at the obstetrics department of the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZ Hospital) has been adopted by the hospital as a way to curb the resale of appointments by scalpers, the Yangcheng Evening News reported yesterday.

    Some netizens have complained that it’s been difficult to make appointments at the HKU-SZ Hospital’s obstetrics department, and some scalpers have sold appointments for more than 5,000 yuan (US$725).

    According to the hospital’s president, Lu Chongmao, many residents said that they couldn’t get through the hospital’s hotline to make appointments by telephone because the scalpers had monopolized the line.

    “We provide 500 appointments at the obstetrics department each month, which means scalpers could make 2.5 million yuan if they sold each appointment for 5,000 yuan,” he said.

    Lu said that the lottery system might not be the best solution, but it’s a practical way to ensure fairness when the supply of appointments can’t meet the demand.

    The hospital has increased the number of appointments at its obstetrics department by 20 percent since January this year, and it has launched an online registration system as a replacement for making appointments by phone.

    During the 10th lottery at the hospital Saturday, the hospital’s leadership drew lots to arrange appointments for 150 of the 1,180 applicants who had made appointments online.

    According to the hospital’s staff, expectant mothers who are between the 9th and 13th week of pregnancy can apply to get an appointment by the lottery. Each applicant can have five chances, giving them around a 36 percent chance of winning the lottery.

    (Zhang Yang)