UNITED NATIONS CONCERNED OVER SO FEW DOCTORS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN ABORTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Report Urges Abortion "Values Clarification Workshops" for Health-Care Providers in South Africa

A new report on access to abortion in South Africa was issued by the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) entitled "What health-care providers say on providing abortion care in Cape Town, South Africa: findings from a qualitative study." HRP is the body within the United Nations with a mandate for research in "human reproduction" that is sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organisation, and the World Bank. South Africa, along with Cape Verde and Tunisia, allows abortion on demand without restriction as to reason, the most pro-abortion policy in all of Africa.

The new report on South Africa evaluated the impact religious and cultural values have on health care providers' refusal to participate in abortions and were labelled "barriers" to legal abortion. According to HRP, "Abortion as a moral choice and how it influenced health-care providers' degree of involvement in services was framed in different ways. Some providers were vehement in their dislike of abortion, whereas others were prepared to restrict their involvement to pre- and post-abortion counselling or basic nursing duties, and were not willing to provide direct abortion care, including performing abortions. As a nurse stated: "I don't want to come to do TOPs [abortions] ...I would just hate it, hate it, hate it, it's not my choice ...I want to enjoy my work."

The report expressed concern that the right to conscientious objection was used with an "ad hoc interpretation" resulting in many health care providers refusing to participate in abortion. "Many designated public-sector facilities did not have providers who were prepared to either perform abortions or assist those performing abortions. Abortions were often not provided, due to 'pro-life doctors not wanting to have anything to do with abortions', resulting in a roving team of providers from the private sector providing the services. The impact of conscientious objection on service provision included all aspects of the abortion process, from refusing to prescribe or administer necessary medications to refusing to assist in the operating room or provide abortions."

In its conclusion, the report stated that there was a "general lack of understanding concerning the circumstances in which health-care providers were entitled to invoke their right to refuse to provide, or even assist in, abortion services." HRP advised that health providers need to be told exactly what the law demands in the area of conscientious objection and there needs to be an expansion of "values-clarification workshops". Such workshops are a common tool used by those who promote abortion to brainwash, deceive and intimidate doctors and nurses into participating in abortions.

Adapted from an article sent out by: Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues, www.pncius.org . PNCI is a global outreach of Gospel of Life Ministries.  

For more information on doctors' and nurses' right to conscientious objection please contact Doctors for Life: 032 - 481 550 or mail@dfl.org.za.

Download pro-life materials free from the Christian Action website .

Africa Christian Action
PO Box 23632
Claremont 7735
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Tel: (021) 689 4481
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Website: www.christianaction.org.za