E-Paper
HC allows termination of 23-week pregnancy of Chandigarh woman
The PGIMER opined that the woman had a single live intrauterine foetus with a developmental defect in the foetal brain and spine
The Punjab and Haryana high court has allowed the termination of 23-week pregnancy of a Chandigarh woman.
The HC bench of justice Ritu Bahri acted on a plea filed on August 31 that had sought the court’s intervention after which the court had asked Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to examine the woman.
The PGIMER opined that the woman had a single live intrauterine foetus with congenital malformation. The findings had suggested Arnold Chiari malformation, a developmental defect in the foetal brain and spine which has poor prognosis, not compatible with normal life. Thus, the institute had recommended termination of pregnancy.
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, does not permit termination of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks. The law allows termination of pregnancy by a registered medical practitioner, where the duration of the pregnancy does not exceed 12 weeks.
If the duration is up to 20 weeks, the pregnancy can be terminated if doctors say its continuance would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or cause grave injury to her physical or mental health.
In view of the PGIMER report, therefore, the HC has now asked the institute to terminate the pregnancy within three days.
