Rape Victim: Ogun Launches Guidelines For Safe Termination of Pregnancy 

For the well-being of pregnant women, “whose pregnancy could pose danger to their lives and physical health”, the Ogun State Government has launched guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for legal indication.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said this while launching a document prepared on how the pregnant women in state could have safe abortions.

Coker said the government was giving a “standardised medical service for women that find themselves in certain situations such as rape, incest, cancer, and hypertension among others.”

According to Coker, the new document which was endorsed by stakeholders, including Islamic and Christian leaders in the state, does not amount to legalising abortion by the government.

The statement reads, “There has been a law in place in Nigeria and Ogun State that tells us in what situation that abortion can be carried out. Because we want to avoid misinterpretation of that and also empower our clinicians to carry out their duties within the boundaries of the laws on the land, that is why we have articulated it in black and white.

“I like to point out that this document is important for health care workers that encounter women in this category. It must be emphasised that Ogun State does not legalise abortion.

“What we are doing is giving standardised medical service for women that find themselves in certain situations such as rape, incest, cancer, and hypertension, among others. There are legal situations where a pregnancy cannot continue, and what we are doing is to make sure these women have access to medical care,” Coker said.