Med teams to assist in 20-week abortions in Maha

Mumbai : The state government has finally brought some relief for those women in Maharashtra who want to terminate their pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation. Soon, the state health department will form eight expert boards in the state to help provide medical guidance on termination of unhealthy and abnormal foetuses.

The state health department has sent a proposal to form eight committees in the state to assist the court in taking a fair decision by providing medical guidance. A senior health official said that the Supreme Court had directed the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) to constitute a committee that will take a prompt decision in cases where pregnant women and girls can seek a nod for abortion.

Currently, a committee of experts has been formed in Pune under the Family Welfare Department which will accept applications from women who develop complications in pregnancies that are over 20 weeks. A health official said, “The committee will consist of five expert members – a gynaecologist, a paediatrician, a representative of the medical college and a deputy director and a civil society member.”

“As per the medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971, no petitioner can directly approach any board or official requesting medical termination, so they have to approach a court for it. Then if a court wants an expert opinion on the case they can instruct the panel to do so,” said Dr Archana Patil, Joint Commissioner of Family Welfare.

Dr Satish Pawar, Director of DHS, confirmed the development and further said that in eight districts these committees will be formed to help provide medical explanations for cases. “Every time, a court receives a case, they have to give an instruction to form a panel of experts. This is time-consuming so the court instructed the department to form committees that would access the plea on the basis of medical terms,” said Dr Pawar.

The official said, “Under the medical termination of pregnancy act, our main motive in this committee is to sensitise the victim at first.”

He further said that the committee will be set up in eight districts to hear these pleas and they will be formed in Thane, Kolhapur, Pune, Akola, Nagpur, Latur and Satara and Nandurbar. “We have sent a proposal to the central government for approval of these committees. Once the government gives the green signal, the committee will start functioning in the respective districts,” said Dr Satish Pawar. He added that after receiving a plea, the committee will have to look into the case and a decision will be taken within seven days.