Hetauda, January 12:

Women living in villages of Makwanpur district are deprived of safe abortion services due to the absence of the doctor at the Hetauda Hospital.

As many as six women of Basamadi village development committee, who had come to the hospital to abort unwanted pregnancies, had to return home without undergoing abortion because the doctor, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Singh, was not at the hospital when they arrived.

Safe abortion service was launched at the hospital from August 31, administrative officer of the District Health Office, Rajkumar Pokharel, said. Thirty-three women have undergone abortion so far.Twenty-three women have availed themselves of pre-abortion counselling.

Volunteer women are being mobilised and programmes are being aired on radio to generate awareness about safe abortion practices. But women are being compelled to return without undergoing abortion due to the absence of doctor Singh at the hospital.

Buddha Sharan Lama, chairman of the Youth Service Society Nepal (YSSN), a group that advocates for safe abortion practices, said the hospital must set fixed dates and time for abortion so that women won’t have to return without availing themselves of the services.