On August 14-15, 2019, the Bureau of Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health organized a meeting of the Safe Abortion Referral Network (RSA) in the Northeastern region at River City Hotel, Mukdahan, with budget support from the Health Promotion Fund (HPF). The project aims to develop a safe and friendly alternative service network for teenagers and women with unplanned pregnancies.
The goal is to make the RSA (Referral system for Safe Abortion) network operations in each region more efficient, expand the concept of safe abortion, and create a collaborative network between alternative counseling services, continued pregnancy, and referral services for abortion in the Northeastern provinces. This will create a network that facilitates care and support for teenagers and women with unplanned pregnancies, providing accessible alternative counseling services, continued pregnancy, and abortion referral services. The network will be strengthened to work comprehensively and continuously, providing quality and friendly services to support clients from the unplanned pregnancy counseling line 1663 and other unplanned pregnancy assistance agencies.
Participants included those responsible for adolescent work/abortion/reproductive health from the provincial public health offices in 20 Northeastern provinces, doctors, nurses, social workers, and other related public health personnel from central/general/community hospitals in 20 Northeastern provinces, those responsible for adolescent/reproductive health/family planning/abortion work from Health Center 7 Khon Kaen, Health Center 8 Udon Thani, Health Center 9 Nakhon Ratchasima, Health Center 10 Ubon Ratchathani, the unplanned pregnancy counseling hotline team 1663, the unplanned pregnancy network, the website team RSAThai.org, other related unplanned pregnancy counseling and assistance agencies, the organizing committee, and speakers.
The meeting of the Safe Abortion Referral Network (RSA) in the Northeastern region was welcomed by Dr. Chanchai Boonyoo, the RSA Northeastern coordinator and director of Buayai Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima. The meeting was opened by Dr. Boonrit Sukrat, Assistant Director of the Bureau of Reproductive Health.
The meeting was well received by the Northeastern network, leading to an exchange of work experiences, including information, Ministry of Public Health regulations on service types and operations for preventing and solving adolescent pregnancy problems in 2019, safe abortion policies, the development of abortion and contraception service networks at the provincial and sub-district levels, the provision of safe abortion services in hospitals, comprehensive collaboration for unplanned pregnancy care, the issue of online abortion pills and lack of access to safe services, challenges in providing second-trimester abortion services, brainstorming on “Access and Provision of Safe Abortion Services,” reporting on the use of abortion pills, drug disbursement, and service compensation. Additionally, the number of network members in the Northeastern region increased, and RSA pins were awarded to new members.
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The project aims to develop a safe and friendly alternative service network for teenagers and women with unplanned pregnancies.