Unsafe abortions or abortions performed outside a hospital have been identified as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the Ashanti region.

On a daily basis there are about four women who visit the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital(KATH) to request for an abortion.

Medical officers of the KATH have said however that abortion is legal in specific instances in Ghana.

According to the medical experts, pregnancies can be terminated under circumstances such as when a woman has been raped and the pregnancy results from the crime, when a minor has been defiled, when a pregnancy threatens the physical or mental health of the mother.

However, in the region it has come to the notice of medical officers that some young women terminate pregnancies on their own. They are said to use herbal concoctions and other home brewed remedies, often putting their lives at risk.

Meanwhile, medical experts say that, the procedure should only be performed by a medical professional.