Wimbi la Kutoa Mimba Dar!

Navyoona wasichana was shule na wanawake wafundishwe uzazi wa majira. Pia wakazanie hao wanaume wao watumie kondomu. Pia wanaume na nyege zao waache kudanganya wanawake, "Oh usiponipa ina maana hunipendi!" au wanasema, "Usiponipa nitampata atakayenipa!"

LOH! Nyie, nakumbuka kuona wanafunzi wenzangu wakifa kwa septic abortion.
Nimeona wakiteseka kwa maumivu na kuoza na kufa! Kisa walienda kwa watu wasiojua wanafanya nini kuzitoa. Napenda kuwe na sehemu ambayo mtu anaweza kuwa na sehemu ya kutoa mimba kwa usalama. Lakini pia sipendi wazo la kutoa mimba. Lakini kwa vile bado kuna sheria za ajabu, eti msichana akipata mimba afukuzwe shule, wengine wanalazimishwa kutoa ili waendelee na masomo.

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Kutoka ippmedia.com

ABORTION BUSINESS BOOMING IN DAR

Most private and some public dispensaries, health centres and hospitals camouflaged as family health planning units are centres for performing abortions, ‘The Guardian’ can report today.

A survey carried out over the last two weeks has revealed shocking statistics on health facilities engaged in abortions. A clinic in the city (name withheld) performs as much as 40 abortions per month, raising questions on safety and the health risks posed to their clients.

The Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital Prof Leonard Lema said that the institution does not perform abortions, but is forced to save the lives of the victims who are rushed to the hospital in critical state after bleeding seriously from unsafe abortion.

“Some victims are brought to us in a serious condition, bleeding so we help them in cleaning the blood clots so as to save their lives,” he said

Another gynaecologist from Muhimbili who preferred not to be named said that the government was ‘quiet’ about abortion and yet the practice is going on in many private hospitals and clinics.

“Professionally it can only be performed after clearance of two specialists when there is an adequate risk to the mother’s life if the foetus is retained,” he said.

He also noted that while abortion is going on, the rate of crude abortions is on the decline especially since the doctors who do it have adopted the use of the MVA (Manual Vacuum Aspiration) kits to carry out the illegal surgery.

Almost every private hospital checked during the investigation that covered more than 10 of them in Dar es Salaam, the story was the same, “You want to have an abortion? You will get it, just pay for it.”

The cost of the services is high. Some of the clinics have resorted to abortions as the quickest and most reliable way of generating income.

“Yes the majority of women coming here for gynaecological services want to abort…you cannot stop them, so we just help them do it in the safest way without subjecting their lives to danger,” said a gynaecologist at one of the clinics.

He said charges vary depending on how old the pregnancy is. For example it would cost 70,000/- to terminate a six-month pregnancy, while anything below that would cost 50,000/-.

The clients include students, unmarried and married women, according to our investigation. Another gynaecologist said it was difficult to turn away pregnant mothers who visited the clinics crying for help.

Two months ago a mother of a family residing at Mbezi Beach in Dar es Salaam, lost her only daughter, a 15 – year old, who took tablets prescribed by a quack doctor to induce an abortion.

The daughter had obtained a week’s leave from school in Arusha after complaining that she was not feeling well.

“When at home in Dar she seemed to lose her appetite and ate very little. I didn’t know what was going on because her condition got worse by the day, yet when I wanted to take her to hospital; she refused, telling me she had already taken malaria tablets. However her condition became worse,” the mother narrated.

She rushed her to hospital and after the usual medical tests, a drip was administered on the girl, but after 30 minutes, she passed away

“We were shocked to learn that she had been bleeding intensively. One doctor told me that she couldn’t make it because she had taken some tablets to abort,” the mother said, tears streaming down her face.

She said that she was shocked by the news and couldn’t believe that her daughter had been pregnant, opted for an abortion and never told her. She learnt from the doctor that the tablets which her daughter took worsened her condition, rupturing the foetus which was also rotting inside her, resulting into more complications which caused her death.

The woman talking to a friend later learnt that women who opt for abortion in most of these clinics in the neighbourhood are given an option of using either the tablets or a vacuum machine. Her daughter had probably been afraid to use the vacuum and went for the pills.

“She was the only daughter I had because her siblings are boys. It is like a nightmare to me up to now. It is important for these girls to be told and taught about pregnancy, abortions and their effects,” she said.

In a separate interview, Jangwani school teacher Grace Michael said that abortions happen frequently in secondary schools and can only be controlled if the students are made aware of the negative effects.

“Some of them who are day students have an abortion and we never know about it because one can decide to stay home for sometime after the operation to recover before resuming school. Sometimes, it is hard to identify such students,” said Michael.

She added that in some schools students are taken to hospital every month for pregnancy test and those found positive end up dropping out of school.

“I think there is still a lot to be done to protect students from getting pregnant and having abortions because the rate has really gone up,” she added.

A Makongo Secondary School student, Amina Abdul, said that as long as the students get pregnant and are still in school, abortions are likely to happen because they want to finish school.

“There is a lot to be done to create awareness among the students because abortion is performed as if it’s a simple issue. If you have money it can be performed, but it is dangerous when someone uses tablets. It is better to have the vacuum system. I haven’t experienced this, but I have heard other students talk about it,” she said

Another student, Anna Msekwa said that the rate of abortions has gone up especially for those girls who are staying in hostels.

“The rate has really gone up especially in boarding schools and hostels. This worsens during the cold months… and if it happens you have to do something before your parents become aware,” she said.

Residents in various parts of Dar es Salaam said that many institutions operating as family life health clinics were actually havens for performing abortions. Almost every member of the public who was interviewed concurred that the crime was rampant in the city.

“It is an open secret that hospitals in Dar es Salaam do perform abortions. A woman walks into a clinic and no one bothers to ask who made her pregnant. Most hospitals here are not there to treat patients but to perform abortions,” said Ali Omar a resident of Mbagala

Joyce Michael a resident of Mbezi in Dar es Salaam said some clinics were so careless that after inducing abortions they didn’t clean the tools they had used.

“So many women have been infected with diseases after undergoing abortions in some of the so–called private hospitals in Dar es Salaam. They know that women who are going for abortions in secret are desperate so they take advantage of them,” she said.

The deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare Aisha Kigoda said that most private hospitals perform abortions secretly because it is illegal, but warned that if such hospitals are exposed and evidence provided, they will be prosecuted.

“Private hospitals are performing abortions in secret because they know it’s illegal, but I am warning them that if they are caught with evidence, then legal action will be taken against them, including withdrawing their licenses,” said Kigoda.

She said that the government is planning to formulate a set of laws to allow for safe abortion so as to reduce mortality rate in the country.

“The government is still thinking over the proposals. We have to look at the advantages and disadvantages of such a move,” said Kigoda, refusing to be drawn into stating when the laws on safe abortion will be in place.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN