Termination of pregnancies: Government to consider suggestions on wording of law

The government is ready to discuss ‘genuine suggestions' for amendments to the wording of a bill which will allow the termination of pregnancies when the mother’s life or health are at serous risk, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Monday. For example, he said, the bill could be amended so that decisions in each case would be taken by more than one doctor, in line with the hospital’s current operating procedures. He also suggested that the operating procedures themselves could be examined by parliament’s health committee because they defined concepts such as what constituted a grave danger to the mother’s life.  Fearne was speaking at the opening of the debate on the controversial Bill in parliament. He observed that it had also been suggested that the Bill should be restricted to mothers having medical ‘physical’ complications, thus excluding mental condtions. This, he said, was wrong because mental complications could be serious too and doctors should be able to treat despite concerns about the impact on the pregnancy. “Let us get rid of the idea that mental health issues are not a real ailment,” he said. “Pregnant women with mental health issues need to have their mind at...