The Bombay High Court
A 20-year-old woman from Raigad district has sought permission from the Bombay High Court to terminate her pregnancy, claiming that her 23-week foetus has severe abnormalities. The petitioner seeking to undergo Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP), on Monday, through her lawyer (name here) submitted her MRI report to the court. The petitioner approached court as Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 does not allow for the termination of a pregnancy beyond 20 weeks.
Nikhil Datar, senior gynaecologist at Cloud 9 Hospital in Malad West, who had helped the petitioner move the court, said the woman’s foetus has multiple abnormalities. “There is fluid collection in the brain which means there is poor development of the brain. There are abnormalities with the foetus’ digestive system. Because of the multi system involvement, there is possibility of gross genetic defect,” Dr Datar said. He added: “The foetus’ serious abnormalities cannot really be cured and in case they are treated the outcome will be very poor.”
Datar said that the abnormalities in this case could have been diagnosed before 20 weeks if her sonography was done at the appropriate time. A division bench of Justice P D Naik and Justice M S Karnik, on Monday, directed to constitute a Committee of Medical Board at Sir JJ Hospital.