Police are aware of four illegal abortion clinics in Grahamstownand will inform the health department about new posters which have been put up around town, advertising “same day 100% safe abortions”.
Police are aware of four illegal abortion clinics in Grahamstownand will inform the health department about new posters which have been put up around town, advertising “same day 100% safe abortions”.
Warrant Officer Sherolene Williams said, “The police will inform the Department of Health about the posters. It is then the department’s responsibility to investigate if the organisation is illegal.
If this is the case, the police will investigate further.” When a Grocott’s Mail reporter phoned the number on the poster and asked whether the business was registered with the Department of Health, the woman who answered the phone said she would get back to the reporter “next month”. She refused to comment further.
Settler’s Hospital manager, Bongiwe Moyake, said they do have women who come in with what the hospital calls “miscarriages” but that Settler’s does not ask questions about the causes as it is not their territory.
She said they have not seen an increase of women coming in with so-called “miscarriages”. Senior manager of health programmes, Nkau Kgasana, said, “Abortion clinics have to apply to the MEC for health who will then send officials to go and look whether it complies with health regulations and the Health Act. They will then give this report to the MEC who will decide to give the clinic a permit or not.”
