Safe abortions still eluding grass root women, activist says

George Norton

Getting an abortion in Guyana is legal. It has been so for 20 years and after all the hiccups the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) is offering the service free of charge to all women. Minister of Heath Dr George Norton also recently gave a commitment that abortion services will be extended to all public health care facilities in Guyana.

However, the service is governed by strict guidelines which include counselling and an assessment of the woman’s overall mental and physical health. According to information from the Maternity Unit at GPH, if a woman wants to have a pregnancy terminated, she first has to see the doctor there between 9 am and 3 pm Monday to Friday. The service cannot be accessed