A 23-year-old mother of three died at the Georgetown Public Hospital late last month as a result of a botched abortion at the hands of a Mon Repos `doctor'.

Shanta Persaud of 356 Enterprise, East Coast Demerara died on October 24, about two weeks after the abortion was done.

Her death certificate stated that she died as a result of septicaemia and shock caused by a severe loss of blood. The woman was also diagnosed with severe bronchial pneumonia and another contributing factor to her death was the perforation of her uterus.

Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, the woman's husband, 33-year-old Krishanand Kowlessar said his wife had an abortion performed by a 'doctor' who operates under a house on the East Coast Demerara. He said that his wife had to pay a $1,500 consultation fee and $5,000 to have the actual abortion done. Stabroek News was unable to make contact with the doctor.

According to the man, he was unaware that his wife had had the abortion until he was forced to rush her to the hospital.

He said that on October 16 his wife became severely ill with a high fever but she said she had the flu'. He said later in the day after he returned from his job as a conductor he was forced to take her to the hospital.

The man said that his wife was admitted and placed in Ward `A' of the hospital but he was not told what was wrong with her.

He said that two days later she appeared to be better and was discharged on October 18.

However, shortly after she returned home the woman's condition worsened and her husband took her back to the hospital on October 20.

Kowlessar said his wife was placed in the same ward as before but when her condition remained the same she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

He said that before the transfer the doctor at the hospital asked him if his wife had had an abortion and he was unable to say. It was only after the discussion with the doctor that he questioned his wife and she admitted she had gone for an abortion. The man said his wife told him that the 'doctor' at Mon Repos had used a wire to perform the abortion.

On October 21, the woman was reportedly placed on life support but this failed to revive her, as she died the following day early in the morning.

The woman has not only left her husband to grieve but her three children aged five years, three years and seven months old.

The man alleged that his wife was the third person to have died after having an abortion performed by the Mon Repos 'doctor'.

There have been several cases recently of women dying after having abortions performed on them.

A 30-year-old woman, Sharon Shanks, died on September 30, 12 hours after she had an abortion performed on her. She left six children to mourn her death.

And on May 29, 29-year-old Parbattie Dookie died after apparently having an abortion performed on her by an East Berbice doctor. This woman also left three children behind to mourn her death.

Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy had promised that an investigation would have been conducted into Dookie's death. Contacted on Tuesday the minister said that the investigation was still ongoing and that he had not yet received a formal complaint from the woman's family.

Ramsammy said that he was alarmed at the number of women who had lost their lives after having an abortion but that this often happened when women had abortions outside the formal system.

Ramsammy disclosed that 99.9% of the abortions done in the formal system were successful.

The minister also said that the number one cause for admissions to the gynaecological ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital was incomplete abortions. He said that fortunately most of these cases were successfully treated, but there were some who visited the hospital too late or others who hid the fact that they had had an abortion.

Questioned as to whether criminal charges could possibly be filed against the 'doctor', the minister said that the possibility existed. He noted that it was cases like Persaud's and others that called for an effective medical council and promised that the regulations for such a council were being prepared. (Samantha Alleyne)