Residents of the medical officers’ residential area, off the Chiraa road in Sunyani, have expressed concern about the conduct of Dr Nicholas Berko of the Sunyani General Hospital who allegedly performs abortions in his bungalow.
This results in the influx of young ladies and numerous other visitors, some of who stray into other bungalows to enquire from even children about where abortions are performed in the vicinity. Investigations by the Ghana News Agency have revealed that the abortions are performed in the guestroom of Dr Berko’s bungalow where he resides with his Russian wife and mother-in-law. In an interview, Dr Berko admitted undertaking abortions in his house, but this is because “there is only one theatre at the hospital. I try to make this place as hygienic as an operating theatre since such a thing must be done under very hygienic conditions”. He said he charges a minimum of 40,000 cedis when he performs an abortion and he does it as a way of helping to curb the high mortality rate among young girls in the reproductive age. He explained that as a result of the promiscuous lives these young girls lead they get pregnant and resort to unorthodox means of aborting the pregnancy, which often leads to their pre-mature death. “Sometimes when they come for abortion and you turn them away, they go and either take concoctions or insert tree roots and stumps into their private parts leading to complications”. Asked whether his clients have access to review in the event of later complications or infections, he said after the abortion he prescribes antibiotics for them but if they refuse to buy them this could lead to infection. The GNA learnt that the foetuses aborted are either flushed in a water closet or buried in the doctor’s bungalow.
