As more than 75 Tasmanian women have had abortions in Melbourne this year Labor has renewed calls for terminations to be done in the state’s public hospitals.
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A new private low-cost abortion provider is not now expected to start in Hobart for a few weeks.
Not for profit sexual and reproductive health organisation Marie Stopes Australia said it had gone from seeing one Tasmanian woman a month last year to as many as 11 a month this year.
It estimated 75 Tasmanian women had used its services this year.
Deputy Labor leader Michelle O’Byrne said Marie Stopes was one provider and more women may have undergone a termination elsewhere interstate.
She said it was “completely unacceptable” that Tasmanian women were still forced to travel interstate for a termination.
“It is still too expensive and too difficult for regional women to access,” Ms O’Byrne said.
“The government resolved to fix this back in January and told its federal colleagues it had fixed it in February.
“If the Minister wanted women to be able to access termination services he could make the decision that women could access them in the public hospital system.
“He is creating an expensive fly-in, fly-out model because he refuses to let women access this service in a public hospital.”
Marie Stopes Australia chief executive Michelle Thompson said women were forced to travel interstate without their family and support network.
“By the time they reach us they are tired, angry that their State won’t help them and traumatised by feeling so judged and stigmatised,” Ms Thompson said.
“This is a legal medical procedure for women in Tasmania yet they are treated like criminals and second class citizens.
“Doctors across the state have been asking for clarity for months. The Tasmanian Government are playing with women’s lives.”
Health Department secretary Michael Pervan said the new private provider was on schedule to start taking referrals in the coming weeks for a fortnightly service with a standard charge of $475.
“The service is in line with the advice I prepared that was tabled in Parliament and is in fact a better service, with the provider committing to provide phone consultations with all women before they attend the clinic,” Mr Pervan said.
“This has not occurred before.
“The name of the private provider and the surgical facility will not be released publicly, at the request of the provider, and women seeking this service should speak with their GP or the prescribed health organisations. This is to protect the privacy of not just the provider, but importantly women seeking this service.
“While it has taken longer than initially expected for the private provider to reach agreement with a local surgical facility, I am pleased that this is much closer and am hopeful that it will be finalised shortly.”
Mr Pervan said the Patient Transport and Travel Assistance Scheme would be available for intrastate travel to the service.
However, Ms Thompson said her service provided phone consultations and she questioned whether there would be surgical follow up for women and pre-and-post counselling.
Meanwhile Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has rejected a call by Ms O’Byrne for him to repay $3000 he spent on travel incurred when he addressed an anti-abortion rally in Melbourne.
“I had a number of unrelated commitments in Melbourne and the travel was planned well before I was asked to speak at the community rally attended by thousands of our fellow Australians,” Senator Abetz said.
The Senate recently passed a motion moved by Labor Senators Carol Brown and Catryna Bilyk calling on the state and federal governments to urgently ensure Tasmanian women can affordably access surgical terminations in the state.
