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‘India’s abortion law should be changed to save women’
Mumbai: India’s abortion law should be urgently changed to prevent women from making ill-informed decisions and risking their lives with illegal pregnancy terminations, a Mumbai-based doctor has said in the journal The BMJ.
Nikhil Datar, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals & Lifewave Hospital in Mumbai, said the proposed amendments to abortion law are “contradictory” and need “urgent redrafting”.
He said, India legalised abortion in 1971 by passing the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MPT) Act which allows termination of pregnancy until only 20 weeks’ gestation.
Except for when a woman’s life is at immediate risk, the act restricts the termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks’ gestation, without any explanation for this arbitrary cut-off.
This means that if a serious fetal abnormality is detected after 20 weeks, the woman has no choice but to continue with the pregnancy, even if she does not wish to.
This arbitrary 20-week cut-off “compels women to make ill-informed decisions,” Datar said.
He said if ultrasound testing, typically at about 18 weeks’ gestation in India, indicates a “suspicious variation in fetal anatomy”, the physician needs to ascertain the degree of seriousness with additional prenatal diagnostic tests.
By the time a definitive diagnosis can be made and the woman understands the prognosis, the pregnancy might well have advanced beyond 20 weeks.
“This encourages women to terminate pregnancies in haste before definitive diagnoses are made.”
“Compelling women to continue pregnancies against their wishes may cause physical and mental trauma,” Datar pointed out.
Women may subject themselves to illegal terminations and this “may add to the burden of unsafe abortions and related maternal mortality, which is a major concern throughout the world,” Datar said.
He believes that amending the law is the only legitimate solution to the problem, but says two recently proposed changes to the act by the central government “need immediate rectification.”
The first amendment is that non-allopathic practitioners and nurses too should be able to terminate pregnancies.
This, Datar says, has raised questions “about the quality and safety of abortion services”.
He also criticises the second amendment as “ambiguously drafted” and “contradictory”.
It states that for terminations between 20 and 24 weeks’ gestation, a woman must fall into one of the “categories” defined by the government.
Yet the draft legislation does not define the “categories” and does not provide a clear solution to a woman who has a substantial fetal abnormality but who is not included in any “category”.
“Until the Indian Parliament amends the law unambiguously, many women will continue to take ill-informed decisions about termination of pregnancy or risk their lives in the hands of quacks for illegitimate and illegal terminations.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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