More than 80 per cent of South Africa's medical doctors are refusing to perform abortions, following the legalisation of abortion at the beginning of this month.

The doctors are refusing on religious and ethical grounds to implement the liberal abortion legislation approved by President Nelson Mandela's African National Congress-led Government of National Unity, according to a survey undertaken by Doctors for Life, an organisation based in Johannesburg.

Parliament voted in the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, although several surveys taken before the Act was passed showed that most South Africans were, mainly for religious reasons, opposed to the liberalisation of abortion.

Doctors for Life announced last week that its survey, taken since the enactment of the abortion legislation, showed that 82 per cent of doctors were unwilling to perform abortions.

Doctors for Life said that more than 700 doctors, specialists and professors of medicine had declined to take part in abortions. Many nurses had also refused. Of about 1000 nurses at the Pretoria Academic Hospital, only 10 were willing to perform abortions, Doctors for Life said.

The South African Press Association (SAPA) news agency reported:"Nearly all doctors and nurses concerned with ending pregnancies at hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province cities of Port Elizabeth and Unitenhage have refused to perform abortions."

Also, more than 50 per cent of the medical staff in the province of Kwazulu-Natal were blocking abortion procedures for ethical, moral and religious reasons, SAPA reported.

The controversial abortion legislation allows abortion on demand up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and up to the 20th week under special circumstances. Minors are permitted to have abortions without parental permission.

Article from: ENI by Noel Bruyns