Five Gauteng hospitals implicated in forced sterilisation

25 February 2020

I am horrified by the report that HIV positive women have been sterilised without their knowledge in a number of Gauteng public hospitals.

According to the Gender Equality Commission, the following five Gauteng hospitals have been implicated:

Edenvale Hospital

Tembisa Hospital

Leratong Hospital

Far East Hospital

Tambo Memorial Hospital

The report indicates that women who were pregnant and found to be HIV positive were coerced into being sterilised.

Some women related that they were forced to sign a consent form while in labour.

Others were told that because they were HIV positive they should not ask questions about what was done to them.

More cases may come to light and the ethical lapses could be as serious as the Life Esidemini tragedy.

The Gauteng Health Department needs to investigate this and ensure that there is accountability so that this never happens again.

Issued by Jack Bloom,DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 24 February 2020