TMH now offers reproductive health care, including safe and legal abortion services
The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy guidelines estimated at least 50% of all abortions were still done by informal, illegal and unsafe providers.
Finally, the Tambo Memorial Hospital boasts a Women’s Health Clinic after not having had the service for decades.
The newly opened clinic, to be officially launched today, is located within the institution, and offers, among other things, family planning, choice on termination of pregnancy (CTOP) services and post-termination of pregnancy care services, which include counselling by a psychologist or social worker to ensure clients cope with post-termination issues.
According to the hospital spokesperson, Zoliswa Nzeku, establishing the clinic is part of the department’s efforts to increase access to safe healthcare services for women in Boksburg and its surrounding areas.
“The clinic aims to reduce the number of maternal deaths and complications that occur because of illegal abortions by offering preventative solutions for unwanted pregnancies via different contraceptive methods.
“If a pregnancy has occurred, a safe solution, in a controlled environment, can now be offered. Healthcare workers in the clinic will ensure that women and girls are well-informed about their reproductive rights and self-care. Information on women’s health, in general, will also be shared,” explained Nzeku.
Nzeku noted that currently, the clinic only offers termination of pregnancy services to women and young females in their first trimester.
In South Africa, the CTOP Act and the National Health Act give women the right to receive safe and legal abortion services from the state.
To access these services, one must bring their ID document, passport or birth certificate. As a form of identification, undocumented persons must get an affidavit from the police that states their full name, date of birth and physical address.
The clinic is in the hospital, Ward 17 (next to the Postnatal Ward). Operating hours are Monday to Thursday from 07:00 – 15:00 and Fridays from 07:00 – 11:00. The clinic is closed on weekends and public holidays.
For more information, contact: 011 892 0551.
Backstreet abortions thriving
In 2004 and 2008, amendments to the CTOP Act were made, expanding the access to termination of pregnancy services and provider cadres to include trained nurses in South Africa.
However, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy guidelines, published in 2019, estimated at least 50% of all abortions were still done by informal, illegal and unsafe providers.
According to the Department of Health, following South Africa’s CTOP Act of 1996, enacted in December 1996 and brought into effect in February 1997, termination of pregnancy-related deaths and complications in SA decreased by over 90% between 1997 and 2002.
Many studies have identified barriers to the safe termination of pregnancy in South Africa, including provider bias and opposition, stigma, lack of infrastructure, equipment and/or training providers at the facility, generally limited knowledge of TOP (termination of pregnancy) legislation, and unmet contraceptive needs.
The Department of Health estimated that unsafe abortions directly resulted in 23% of maternal deaths from septic miscarriages in public health facilities between 2008 and 2010. Additionally, the 2014-2016 Saving Mothers Report indicated unsafe abortion as an avoidable factor in 25% of maternal deaths due to miscarriage.
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