Doctors in central Kenya carrying out abortions in hotel rooms

NYERI: A doctor has accused medical interns at a Nyeri hospital of providing abortion services to desperate women.

The doctor, who requested anonymity, said interns, who work in teams of two, plan the abortions carefully to ensure the hospital's administration does not get wind of their actions.

They have access to drugs and the necessary equipment but do not do the illegal job within the hospital.

"They ask clients to pay for a low-cost room within the seedy lodgings in Nyeri town which charge as little as Sh500 for a room and do not ask for any ID," the doctor explained.

An upfront fee of Sh8,000 is demanded by the interns before they can show up at the hotel room.

"They perform the procedure and once the abortion is complete, they (interns) clean up the room and erase any evidence of the act," he noted.

The interns however never stay with the patients to ensure they do not suffer any complications. They advise the patient to seek medical attention at any hospital.

"Private clinics are running the business of post-abortion care, which is booming in this town, despite the fact the service is offered free at the county referral hospital and all public hospitals in the county," added the doctor.

PRIVATE CLINICS

According to investigations by The Standard, some of the private clinics charge between Sh5,000 and Sh25,000 depending on the extent of the complications.

Apart from the interns, The Standard has established, there are at least three private clinics that offer the abortion services.

However, the clinics conduct their business in secrecy due to fear of the law enforcers.

The cheapest abortion clinic in the town procures the service for as little as Sh3,500, depending on the age of the pregnancy.

However, for women or couples who can afford it, a well established clinic charges between Sh8,000 and Sh10, 000.

Majority of those seeking the services, according to a doctor, are college girls and, in some cases, high school students.

But there are also women who procure abortion on their own. Last month, residents of Gamerock found a foetus dumped in a coffee plantation. The foetus was found in a bucket and is belied to have been dumped there hours before dawn.

According to a survey conducted for the Nyeri Reproductive Health and Family Planning Strategy paper for 2015-2025, most youth in the county have their first sexual experience before the age of 15.