MEC Urges Women to Use Legal Abortion Clinics
16 Sep 2008
16 Sep 2008
Mafikeng - North West MEC for Health, Nomonde Rasmeni has urged women in the community to use the services of safe and legal abortion clinics to prevent dangerous and serious complications from developing.
She said her department was concerned at the increasing number of desperate women who felt they had no other choice but to have the procedure done at illegal clinics.
"We are worried about the escalating numbers of women who are using backyard abortion facilities in the North West province. Our young women living in rural areas are regularly using the services of the illegal termination of pregnancy clinics," she said.
MEC Rasmeni explained that most of the women using these backstreet service providers often went back to the state health care facilities due to serious complications. "This is not only costly to the department but it also creates a burden on the health care system."
The department launched of the Pregnancy Resolution Campaign to encourage safe choices when it comes to the termination of pregnancy.
Rolling out the campaign in Extension 39, Mafikeng, the MEC said the campaign had also been prompted by the mushrooming of the backstreet abortions throughout the province.
"On every pole in towns, villages, townships and suburb we see small advertisements for 'safe, pain fee abortions'", she said, adding that these were mostly from illegal service providers.
Ms Rasmeni told members of the community that over the past financial year, her department had been giving health professionals training in the emotional and psychological aspect that comes with a complicated abortion.
This, she said, would help them as they carry out their duties in communities.
She said it was a challenge for the department to ensure that all of their services were utilised in designated health institutions. "This can be attributed to a lack of customer understanding about the Choice of the Termination of Pregnancy [CTOP] programme."
"I would like to encourage all our women, especially young ones to exercise their reproductive health rights by making the correct choices, including the prevention of unplanned pregnancies in the first place."
She said her department was concerned at the increasing number of desperate women who felt they had no other choice but to have the procedure done at illegal clinics.
"We are worried about the escalating numbers of women who are using backyard abortion facilities in the North West province. Our young women living in rural areas are regularly using the services of the illegal termination of pregnancy clinics," she said.
MEC Rasmeni explained that most of the women using these backstreet service providers often went back to the state health care facilities due to serious complications. "This is not only costly to the department but it also creates a burden on the health care system."
The department launched of the Pregnancy Resolution Campaign to encourage safe choices when it comes to the termination of pregnancy.
Rolling out the campaign in Extension 39, Mafikeng, the MEC said the campaign had also been prompted by the mushrooming of the backstreet abortions throughout the province.
"On every pole in towns, villages, townships and suburb we see small advertisements for 'safe, pain fee abortions'", she said, adding that these were mostly from illegal service providers.
Ms Rasmeni told members of the community that over the past financial year, her department had been giving health professionals training in the emotional and psychological aspect that comes with a complicated abortion.
This, she said, would help them as they carry out their duties in communities.
She said it was a challenge for the department to ensure that all of their services were utilised in designated health institutions. "This can be attributed to a lack of customer understanding about the Choice of the Termination of Pregnancy [CTOP] programme."
"I would like to encourage all our women, especially young ones to exercise their reproductive health rights by making the correct choices, including the prevention of unplanned pregnancies in the first place."
Source: http://www.buanews.gov.za
