It’s not an unknown fact. For years now, Jaigoan and the neighboring bordering towns have served as a secret haven for Bhutanese women (prevented by the laws within the country) for aborting the unwanted child.

Media has reported extensively on the issue. But little has changed.

Every year, hundreds of Bhutanese women, mostly young, cross the border for abortion. They risk the danger and stigma of abortion, in shady alleys, trusting their lives at the hands of strange physicians who claim medical expertise and experience.

A local gynecologist in Jaigoan said in the last two years, he has come across several Bhutanese women who come for abortion. “We medicate women of all ages but young girls are more frequent,” he said.

Sometimes, men visit the doctors and take the medicines prescribed by them.

To do a medical abortion in the local clinics, it would cost not less than Nu 2,000, depending on the gestation period and the rate charged by medical expertise. The more experienced the doctors are, higher the amount they charge. And if the woman is pregnant for more months, the more she lands up paying.

According to one of the clinic owners in Jaigoan, if the woman is pregnant for less than two months, he charges around Nu 650 for the medicines which he assured 100% abortion. For pregnancy up to four months, the clients have to pay around Nu 1,150 excluding safety tablets.

Dr Agarawal of one of the clinics said medical abortion after four months is impossible and therefore a surgical abortion should be done which may cost not less than Nu 4,000 depending on the doctor.

Abortion, if not done the right way, could be fatal. People know that, yet take chances.

A private sector employee, Kencho, recalled a moment when she bought some tablets at the cost of Nu 1,300 including safety medicines. She had come from Thimphu, without her parents’ notice, to purchase medicines for her sister who was in her early pregnancy.

“It is very risky as lives of women are at stake. My sister had excessive bleeding and the safety medicine did not work,” she said.

According to Dr Sonam of Phuentsholing hospital, abortion is illegal in most of the countries. Moreover, Bhutan being a Buddhist country, strictly prohibits abortion as it is against the principles adhered to the teachings of Lord Buddha.

The medical official of Phuentsholing hospital said only medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) is legal and that too depending upon varying situations.

“If the mother is bleeding excessively before the birth of feeder inside or the feeder inside is dead, we can do abortion,” said Dr Sonam. He added that if the woman is raped and wants to do abortion, it will be counted as inevitable abortion and it is legal.

Health officials said abortions done in the local clinics are unsafe as it is mostly done by an untrained person in an unhealthy environment.

According to the medical officials, such abortions done by unrecognized gynecologists are known as ‘septic abortion’ which can cause uterine perforation and can even kill the pregnant woman.

An Indian advocate, Hariram Prasad, said that section 313 and 316 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) states that an abortion is illegal. “Under section 316, causing death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to culpable homicide is a serious crime. Person guilty of it can be imprisoned for at least 10 years with a fine,” he said.

A Buddhist scholar from Varanasi, Lam Singye, said that abortion is killing of the unborn child and its sin is equivalent to killing a person.

Though, the police at the gate restrict the import of abortion pills, most people manage to bring it in. People say that security personnel at the gate cannot distinguish abortion pills with other medicines.