Pinay dies in attempted abortion in UAE

A Filipina in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) died after allegedly taking drugs to induce abortion, the UAE-based news site Gulf News reported on Friday.   The woman, who was in her 20s, is believed to have become pregnant after having an illicit affair. She died of kidney failure after swallowing abortifacient drugs. At first, the woman went to the Al Kuwaiti Hospital, saying she felt unwell. She was then transferred to Al Qasimi hospital, where she died.   Gulf News quoted a hospital official as saying the woman did not carry an identification card with her when she sought medical help.   The official at the Al Qasimi Hospital said the woman was already in a very bad condition when she was brought there. She was taken to the intensive care unit for treatment. She may have consumed drugs to abort her three-month-old fetus, the official said.   Gulf News said tests showed that the woman was carrying a dead fetus when she sought medical help. False information Hospital officials said the woman had also given false information about her residency. The address she indicated on the hospital documents turned out be an empty building about to be demolished in Al Wahda, on the road opposite Sharjah City Centre.   The Al Qasimi Hospital official believed that the Filipina had apparently absconded from her employer and was living with other housemaids in Sharjah.   The Filipina's case has been transferred to Al Buhairah police station, which launched an investigation into the incident.   Meanwhile, the hospital official said many abandoned babies, believed to be born out of wedlock, have recently been found in various areas of Sharjah.    UAE law views abortion as a crime except when:

• the pregnancy endangers the mother's life, or
• there is evidence that the baby will be born with fatal deformities and will not survive.