Unwanted Pregnancy: Women In Assam Prefer Public Hospitals

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Majority of women in Assam undergo abortions in public sector or government hospitals than in private ones citing safety and privacy as reasons.

A study jointly conducted by the Indian Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai, Population Council in New Delhi and New York-based Guttamacher Institute has found that in Assam, 73 per cent of facility-based abortions take place in government hospitals and health centres and the rest in private hospitals. Assam is the only State among the six surveyed States which has better access to safe abortion services in public hospitals than private ones.

“Majority of women feel that abortion in private hospitals is unsafe and lacks privacy. Thus, they want to undergo abortions at official or government health institutes,” the study titled as Unintended Pregnancy, Abortion and Postabortion Care in Assam, has observed.

The study has estimated that nearly 6 lakh abortions are performed in the State every year — both those taking place in government and private hospitals as well in informal settings. The abortion rate has been found to 66 terminations per 1000 women in the reproductive age group.

Altogether 55 per cent pregnancies recorded in Assam are unintended and 41 per cent of them are terminated, the study reveals.

The study has recommended that Assam needs to improve access to facility-based abortion services, especially in the under-served rural areas. The government must streamline the process of registering private clinics to enable them to offer safe and timely abortion services.

“Since women prefer to go to public sector health institutes, it is high time for the government to improve facilities and infrastructures at such institutes to ensure safe abortions. It is a good sign that women are coming forward to terminate their unwanted pregnancy,” a senior gynecologist at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital said.

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