ABORTION AND STERILIZATION (Particulars)

Mr P. Govindaswamy asked the Minister for Health and Home Affairs, since the operation of the Abortion Act and the Voluntary Sterilization Act, (a) how many treatments to terminate pregnancy were carried out (i) in Government hospitals; and (ii) in approved institutions; and how many cases were in respect of (i) married women; and (ii) unmarried women; and (b) how many persons have undergone treatment for sterilization.

The Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir (a) For the four-year period from 20th March, 1970 (when the law came into effect) to 30th June, 1973 (when the most up-to-date figures are available), a total of 10,795 abortions were performed. This represents almost 7 per cent of total births. It is less than the original estimates of 10 per cent of births envisaged at the time the Act was passed. The breakdown figures are:-

10,260 in Government hospitals; and 535 in approved institutions;

10,237 were married women; and 558 were unmarried women.

The percentage of unmarried women who had abortions therefore works out to only about 5 per cent.

(b) For the four-year period from 1970 to 1973, a total of 21,728 sterilizations were performed on males and females.

Mr P. Govindaswamy: Mr Speaker. Sir, in respect of unmarried women, may I know what are their ages?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot tell the Member for Anson their exact age, but I can tell him that they are mainly young.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I just want to know whether the Minister for Health has been informed of the reasons why these unmarried women wanted to carry out abortions.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I cannot give the Member for Bras Basah the detailed reasons, which were revealed in private to the Abortion Board. Of course, one obvious reason is that they did not want the babies.

Dr Ong Leong Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has given answers to the question on the number of abortions in hospitals and in approved institutions. Firstly, I wonder whether the Minister has any figures for abortions carried out in unapproved institutions. Secondly, how many of these abortions initially carried out in the unapproved institutions have to be referred to the Kandang Kerbau Hospital for a subsequent thorough abortion?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, unfortunately I cannot give the Member for Kim Seng the answer to his question, because they are illegal abortions. But I can say that generally as a result of the passing of the Abortion Act the number of illegal abortions has gone down. This is just an estimate taken from the cases of uncompleted abortions that we have in the hospitals.