Bloemfontein — The Free State Department of Health in conjunction with the South African Police Services is working on shutting down all illegal abortion clinics.

Departmental spokespersons Gela van Heerden warned all health practitioners and institutions involved in illegal abortions that they would be fined and prosecuted.

She said any person who is not a medical practitioner, a registered nurse, midwife or has not been trained to do abortion, will be found guilty.

"Any person who prevents the lawful termination of pregnancy or obstructs access to a facility for the termination of pregnancy or a person who terminates a pregnancy or allows the termination of pregnancy at a facility not approved, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or be imprisoned for a period not exceeding ten years," Ms van Heerden warned.

Although termination of pregnancy is legal in South Africa, the department is discouraging pregnant women to terminate pregnancy at illegal and unhealthy institutions.

"The State has the responsibility to provide reproductive health to all, and also to provide safe conditions under which the right of choice can be exercised without fear or harm," said Ms van Heerden.

She further stressed that termination of pregnancy is not a form of contraception or population control.

According to the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act 2004, pregnancy may be terminated upon request of a woman during the first 12 weeks of gestation period of her pregnancy.

* if a medical practitioner is of the opinion that the pregnancy would pose a risk of injury to the woman's physical or mental health,

* the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest and

* if a pregnancy would affect the social or economic circumstances of the woman.

After the 20th week of gestation, pregnancy may be terminated if the medical practitioner and another medical practitioner are of the opinion that a continued pregnancy would endanger the life of a woman or would pose a risk of injury to the foetus, she explained.

Ms van Heerden said termination of pregnancy can only take place at a facility which has been approved by the provincial MEC.

The clinics must also have access to operating theatres, surgical equipment, emergency resuscitation equipment, access to emergency referral facilities and appropriate transport should the need arise for emergency transfer.

Earlier this month, members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, police and health officials from the city and the province raided a building in central Johannesburg after calling one of the "doctors" and pretending to be potential clients.

What they found has been described as a "hospital of horrors".

Some 11 people were arrested for operating these illegal establishments and charged with contravening national health regulations.