
Court orders Gauteng Health to provide pregnancy termination services to a minor.
According to her rights under the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996 (CTOPA), the youngster made numerous attempts to receive these services.
Attorney at Section 27 Khanyisa Mapipa spoke to Phemelo Motene about a court order that has directed the Gauteng Health Department to provide pregnancy termination services to a teenager following the groups intervention.
LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE:
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She received numerous denials about this right. The girl was misinformed by the healthcare professional at the primary healthcare center where she received care that she was ineligible for a TOP because of the position of the foetus, and she was not referred to a tertiary hospital. Access to the TOP was delayed by this refusal.
SECTION 27 explained in a press statement how the child’s rights were violated.
“The minor’s right to reproductive health services, bodily autonomy and access to healthcare services was violated when the primary healthcare facility failed to refer her to a tertiary healthcare facility.
“In our view, the respondents in the case (the Member of the Executive Council in the Gauteng Department of Health and the Head of Department of Health in Gauteng) failed to fulfil their constitutional obligation in terms of section 27(1)(a) of the Constitution, which states that “everyone has the right to access health care services, including reproductive health care””
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