But going to these areas was worth it. The team of doctors, medical staff and volunteers were able to help hundreds of needy people. In return the patients often expressed their joy and thankfulness often in very illustrative ways. In total we did about 72 surgeries of which most were to treat or prevent blindness. These were mostly cataract and trachoma cases. We also gave out hundreds of prescription glasses and treated and screened many hundreds more for things like epilepsy, malaria, leprosy, abscesses etc etc. We also treated many for Trachoma (with Azythromycion) that is mostly linked to areas that have a lack of hygiene. We also assisted the people with dental extractions. We look back at our time in Mavinga and Cuito with thankfulness, that we returned safely and that we had the privilege to go to those remote areas regardless of the challenges.

More Photos

20111102 Aid to Africa
The team finally reached the first destination of Cuito Cuanavale after about six days on the road. The target area is isolated and the team had to travel on bad roads, some of which were marked with land mine warnings! The 500 litre drinking water tank broke off the truck, damaging the vehicle, and one of the trailers broke down twice. Thankfully the damage was not too serious and everybody arrived safely in a hot Cuito Cuanavale.
The clinic started on Monday and the first few patients who received cataract surgery had their eye pads removed today (2nd Oct). Their joy at being able to see again was wonderful to witness. One man, Joao Babtista, a pastor, is looking forward to preaching again and being able to read his bible. For the last few years he has preached from memorized bible versus. Joao is one of 18 blind patients who have received surgery so far. They team also attended to about 300 other patients. The DFL team of 3 doctors, 2 nurses and the support team will continue working in Cuito Cuanavale for 4 days and then move on to Mavinga for another 4 days of work.

20111015 Doctors For Life
Doctors For Life is attending the 2011 South African Medical Association conference at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, South Africa. The conference starts on Thursday 15 until Saturday 17 September. Members, friends and interested parties can visit our stand in the exhibition hall.

20110727 Aid to Africa
Doctors for Life’s team of eye specialists, doctors and volunteers have returned home after a successful eye surgery and medical outreach to Bengula, Malawi. Nick Ashton, a volunteer from the UK, was responsible for fundraising and organising the outreach. The trachoma and cataract eye surgeries were done in Nsanje hospital in compliance with the department of health of Malawi. Iris ministries helped with the logistics and preparations for the outreach and were the base from which DFL worked. This is DFL’s third eye surgery outreach to Malawi in the past 2 years. The medical work included 121 trachoma, cataract and cancer surgery procedures. In addition we also handed out glasses for refractive errors and did general examinations for other diseases. Everything was done free of charge. We are thankful that everything went so well!

20110725 Aid to Africa
A small team including a land surveyor and architect are currently doing volunteer work at DFL’s clinic in Zavora. The purpose of their visit is to develop detailed site plans and architectural drawings of possible additions to the clinic. The new buildings will include a laboratory, prenatal examination, vaccination, dental, and ultrasound rooms. Part of the development of the site will include plans for a theatre with 2 wards of 14 beds. DFL started developing plans for a theatre about 2 years ago. It will allow us to deliver much needed medical surgery like caesareans and eye surgery etc. Both the architect, Mr Harald Thiede, and the land surveyor, Mr Dirk Olivier, donated their time and expertise to help DFL with the plans and brought along all the equipment for the task.(More)

RELEVANT CONSTITUTION CLAUSES:

Section 15[1]: “Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion”.

Section 16[1][b]: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression which includes  freedom to receive or impart information or ideas”.

Section 9: “Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. No person may be unfairly discriminated against directly or indirectly on any one or more grounds including amongst other things religion, conscience and belief”.

YOUR RIGHTS

The Constitution is the ultimate law of the country and consequently if it would clash with another law, the Constitution would override the other law. These Constitutional Rights entitle you to the following:

To resist in Court any attempt to refuse employment or to discriminate against you or to intimidate you into participating in induced abortion. You have the right to refuse to refer a patient to an Abortionist.

To inform others of your ideas and views about induced abortion. Contrary to what the law says, the Constitution would even allow Health Workers to refuse to furnish any information concerning the rights of an applicant for induced abortion. It is important to take note that the clause in the draft abortion law that forced a Doctor or Nurse, who was unwilling to do an abortion, to refer the Patient to another Doctor/Nurse who would be willing, was scrapped before the bill was voted upon in 1997. (This was done under pressure from all the opposition parties at the time.)

This means that there is currently no legal obligation to refer. According to the Canadian Medical Association, “a Doctor who refers a Patient for a procedure he believes to be wrong is morally just as culpable as the Doctor who performs the procedure”.

You may not be forced to participate in any part of the abortion procedure; this would include anything from directly taking part in the abortion procedure, to making beds and caring for the Patient or even looking at histological specimens in the laboratory.

You may refuse taking part in any part of the administrative process of arranging abortions at all levels of the health system.

You may not be refused work, dismissed or victimised in your work place because of your conscientious beliefs and objections concerning induced abortions.

WHAT THE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW

You may not express your ideas in a threatening or intimidating way, or physically prevent somebody from going for an induced abortion.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

If you do not wish to participate in induced abortion in terms of your lawful rights, you should make your viewpoint known as soon as possible to your employer in writing so that substitute staff can be arranged. (Contact DFL for the relevant form and advice.)

OTHER RIGHTS CONCERNING THE ABORTION LAW

You have the right to insist that, in a particular Institution, all the conditions stipulated in the Act be adhered to before induced abortion may be performed.
- Induced abortions can only be carried out in an authorised facility.

According to the regulations of the law, surgical abortion can only be performed in a facility designated by the Minister of Health. In turn, the Minister is only allowed to designate a facility if it complies with specific conditions and requirements. For instance, there must be access to medical and nursing staff that can perform the procedure. A Health Professional with conscientious objection cannot be counted as an accessible staff member. If there are not sufficient pro-abortion staff members at the particular facility, such a facility cannot be designated by the Minister. If a facility had been designated before, and loses its pro-abortion staff members, the Minister can withdraw such a  designation after giving 14 days prior notice of such a withdrawal in the Government Gazette.

The age of the unborn child must be determined before the abortion takes place.

Abortion after 12 weeks can only be permitted if the special circumstances of the Act are present.

The woman having the abortion must be fully informed concerning all the consequences regarding having an abortion and must give her consent to it.

Where the woman is a minor, she must be advised to consult with her parents or her family.

Where the woman is mentally disabled or unconscious, additional special conditions apply.

The state must promote the provision of non-mandatory and non-directive counseling.
MISOPROSTOL / MEFIPRISTONE

Misoprostol / Mefipristone has created a peculiar dilemma for health professionals who have a conscientious objection to performing induced abortions. Misoprostol /Mefipristone is often given by another Health Professional who tells the Patient to go to the local hospital’s casualty department once she starts bleeding. At the hospital, pro-life staff are then foreced to attend to the Patient, for example, by doing a D&C. This blurs the line between taking care of Patients suffering from the complications of an induced abortion, and completing the second part of the abortion procedure and thus becoming an accomplice.

What is your duty if, for instance, you work in a casualty department, and a Patient  comes in haemorrhaging from Misoprostol / Mefipristone? Your duty is to stabilize the Patient after which you can refer the Patient to a Health Professional who has no conscientious objection to continue to attend to the immediate needs of the Patient.

Also, if the initial receiving and stabilising of these “emergencies” becomes a regular occurrence / part of your routine, you have the right to demand that arrangements be made for pro-abortion staff to be available to receive and stabilize these Patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

WHEN APPLYING FOR A POST

You have the right not to be discriminated against. You can apply to work in any  department and if there is more than one applicant, the fact that you do not want to take part in abortion should not in any way count against you, be that an application to work in the casualty department, the department of obstetrics and gynaecology or wherever.

STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS

Step 1: Contact Doctors For Life (DFL) for a form to notify your employers about your convictions and rights.

Step 2: Give one copy to your employer and keep one for yourself.

Step 3: DFL can assist you with legal advice.

POST ABORTION SYNDROME

Participation in abortion has emotionally harmed many people. Post Abortion Syndrome is a very real condition amongst Health Care Professionals involved in abortion and is characterised by depression, nightmares, fits of crying and many other disturbing symptoms. If you have been affected, do not hesitate to contact our pre- and post-abortion 24 hour Careline: 078 879 7484

20110720 LifePlace
A group of thirteen theology students from the University of the Free State, accompanied by Professor Pieter Verster visited Doctors for Life’s, LifePlace care centre in May. They were on a mission trip and were interested in working with women in the Point and Morningside areas. The LifePlace team accompanied them on a street outreach to speak to women caught up in prostitution and it was quite an experience for them. We appreciate the visit and look forward to the next one.

20110718 Aid to Africa

An Aid to Africa medical team is currently visiting the remote villages of Bengula and Nsanje in the southern districts of Malawi. This will be our third outreach to these neglected areas in the past 2 years. Nicholas Ashton, a volunteer from the UK has organised this specific outreach. He is joined by an eye specialist team led by Dr Herman Roodt. The eye surgery will focus on cataract procedures to restore sight and trachoma surgery to prevent blindness. Medical Missions International and Global Assistance contributed by donating Trachoma medication for treatment. We also have a donation of eye glasses for those with refractive errors. In addition to eye specialists there is also a team of medical doctors including Dr Gene Smith, an internal medicine specialist. Nick sent us a brief message which read: “Things are going well. We did a clinic at the Iris Conference today, lots of sick people. Daryl (a local missionary) and I went by motorbike and canoe to the east bank (over the river) to screen for patients. We saw 500 people and have a list of 104 patients already!” The Malawi Outreach is from 7 July until the 23d of July.

Current News

To read all our current news click here.