'	Social & Moral Issues Abortion

PARLIAMENT IGNORES NURSES CONCERNS ON ABORTION LAW CHANGES Press Release 26 October 2004 Reacting to the steamrolling of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill through the provincial parliaments, Thembi Mngomezulu, Chief negotiator for The Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) said today: "DENOSA's criticism of the Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill is that it is not practical and will not be implemented for various reasons: 1. Lack of capacity amongst the health professionals - nationally there is a shortage of 31% of nursing posts that cannot be filled, which impacts on the workload of nurses that are currently employed.  - More health facilities have been designated to do abortion and yet no further nurses and doctors have been provided to do the job.  - The survey conducted by DENOSA in 1998 showed that two thirds of its members were against performing abortion and only one third was willing to do it. (DENOSA has a membership of just over 72,000 nurses.) 2. Lack of skills - the legislation clearly states that those who are willing will be trained to perform abortion, they will undertake a prescribed course. According to a study conducted recently by Cheryl-Ann Potgieter reported in Monday's article in the Beeld, it is stated that in 2000 about 90 nurses were trained in abortion procedures and a year later only 50% of those nurses were still practising. Nurses doing abortions felt ostracised and rejected by their own colleagues as well as the community with no support from management, who themselves may be pro-lifers. DENOSA is concerned that if Government continue to force nurses who have a conscientious objection to participate in abortions, because there may not be anyone else on duty when a woman who has been induced to abort comes into the facility, nurses will vote by leaving the public sector. Both the health practitioner and the patient are placed at risk by the lack of capacity. Even to think of 90 nurses at national level is a drop in an ocean when district hospitals such as Philadelphia in Mpumalanga perform about 40 abortions in one month. Therefore we are sitting with a time bomb. Nurses will either refuse and face the consequences or they will be exposed to medical risks and nursing will not be a career of choice in this country and that will negatively impact on the health of the nation, this law must not be supported in its current form until all the implications have been thought through. It's as simple as that! It is irresponsible to pass legislation without making sure that the groundwork has been done to implement such legislation. For future comment, contact: Thembi Mngomezulu, Chief negotiator - DENOSA -   Received from ChristianView Network =============================== ChristianView Network Tel/fax: +2721 6854500 Mobile: +2782 6768966 Mail: Postnet 114, P/Bag X18, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa Web: www.ChristianView.org _______________________________________________ Please read our disclaimer   Back to Social Issues