
Make merit and dedicate merit to the spirits of those who died from unsafe abortions.
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On February 7, 2023, it marks 2 years since Thailand amended the Penal Code to allow safe termination of pregnancy for gestational age under 12 weeks and over 12 weeks under various conditions.
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The Tam Tang Group and the Network Supporting Women’s Choices for Unplanned Pregnancies organized a merit-making ceremony to dedicate merit to the spirits of those who died from unsafe abortions and performed a water-pouring ceremony for Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, who denied social security users the right to receive the disease prevention promotion budget from the National Health Security Office, which supports a 3,000 baht fee for safe abortion services for Thais, in front of the Ministry of Public Health.
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The civil society sector also wrote an open letter to Mr. Anutin stating that even after two years, access to safe abortion still faces obstacles, including the public being aware of their rights but unable to access safe abortion within the time/conditions set by law, the Ministry of Public Health never announcing the list of alternative counseling service units, service unit staff/administrators such as hospitals still having negative attitudes, refusing to provide services and not referring, and the number of safe abortion facilities remains the same, covering only 37-38 provinces with no trend of increase.
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The activists for the right to safe abortion proposed that the Ministry of Public Health announce the list of safe abortion service facilities, mandate services in at least one hospital per province under the ministry, and hospitals that do not wish to provide abortion services must refer. Additionally, the Ministry of Public Health must educate personnel that the right to access safe abortion is a human right.
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BBC Thai invites you to read the story of a woman who wanted a safe abortion but found no facility in Bangkok that would provide abortion through the health security rights. https://bbc.in/3DI8rK0
Source: Facebook Fanpage – Rsathai