Cops bust 'hospital of horrors'

2008-01-14 15:39

Johannesburg - Eleven people who were allegedly carrying out illegal abortions were arrested in central Johannesburg, the City said on Monday.

City officials and metro police came upon a makeshift hospital of horrors on Friday when trying to clean central Johannesburg of "poster pollution", said City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane.

Modingoane said officers were tracking down "doctors" who were sticking leaflets advertising their services on city electric poles and traffic lights.

"It really creates an eyesore, they put the leaflets on top of each other, our team was dealing with that."

After telephoning the "doctors" - and pretending to be interested clients - officers eventually obtained the address of a building in central Johannesburg.

Unhygienic conditions

"On arrival they witnessed more infringements than what they were looking for.

"(The officers) started investigating each and every room. We found they converted (some of the rooms) into illegal surgeries".

Modingoane said an assortment of medical equipment - specifically gynaecological equipment and drugs - was found in the rooms.

Conditions were extremely unhygienic.

"Everything that had been used was still on the floor."

Modingoane said boxes with tablets to induce labour, a number of used condoms, and gloves - some with blood still on them were some of the articles found.

Blood stains could be seen on the floors.

"In one room were panties with blood stains all over."

Modingoane said police were investigating what happened to the foetuses.

He said people using the building had spoken of finding a foetus next to a dustbin.

The building itself was in extremely bad condition with hand-made partitioning which could be life-threatening in the event of a fire, said Modingoane.

City officials managed to arrest eleven people but some of those operating ran away.

Steady clientele

Law enforcement, the Department of Health and immigration officers were called to the scene on the corner of Commissioner and Eloff streets.

Two people that were arrested were found to be illegally in the country and were taken away for deportation.

Nine others had legal permit papers.

None of those arrested could produce any documents verifying they had a legal permit to run a surgery.

The arrested were mainly from Uganda, while a few came from Mozambique.

Modingoane said what was worrying was that the practices seemed to have a steady clientele.

"We hear they charge R250 per abortion. That is one of the reasons why young, desperate girls will run to these things and not check the credibility."

The police could not immediately confirm the exact charges brought against the arrested.

Modingoane, who visited the site of the "surgeries" himself on Friday, said he was absolutely "shocked".

"I couldn't even eat afterwards," he said.

- SAPA