Medellin City Council unable to convince residents to allow abortion clinic

Medellin, Colombia, Sep 4, 2009 / 13:14 pm

Despite its intense efforts, the Medellin City Council in Colombia has not been able to convince residents to approve the opening of a Women’s Clinic that would offer abortion services.
 
This week the council held a televised debate to convince the public that it is looking out for the health of women, but several residents pointed out that the clinic would be focused primarily on providing abortion and contraception.
 
The newspaper, El Colombiano, published a letter sent to Marta Liliana Herrera, the First Lady of Colombia, from a Colombian architect living in Spain. The architect, Analida Sanin Gutierrez, explained why she as a female did not participate in an architectural planning session for the new clinic.
 
Although she is an abortion supporter, Gutierrez wrote that she was disappointed with the building plans because “they lack guarantees for the health and wellbeing” of women.
 
She questioned why the Women’s Clinic would offer no maternity services, just two gynecological offices, no trauma or oncology departments, and nutritional care only for cases of bulimia and anorexia.  She also said the clinic lacks departments for psychological counseling, physical, psychological, social or sexual abuse therapy and legal counseling.
 
Gutierrez said there was a fundamental question that needs to be addressed by the builders of the clinic. “What is the true purpose of the Women’s Clinic?” Without a clear answer, she said in her letter, she would not able to make any kind of financial or professional commitment to the project.