Mumbai: A panel of seven doctors from the civic-run KEM Hospital on Thursday examined the 22-year-old woman who has approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to terminate her 23-week-old pregnancy on grounds of fetal anomaly. The apex court on Wednesday had ordered that a KEM panel should reconfirm the diagnosis and submit a report based on which a ruling can be made.
Dr. Avinash Supe, dean, KEM Hospital, said the panel carried out an ultrasound, a clinical examination and a review of all her previous reports. “The panel also spoke to the woman at length. Based on all of this, a report has been drafted and sent to the SC by email, fax and courier,” said Dr. Supe. With KEM’s report, the SC may give a verdict in the case on Friday.
The woman, a resident of Dombivali, went in for a delayed ultrasound at a private hospital near her residence. By the time the first ultrasound was carried out, she was in the 20th week of pregnancy. Her husband told doctors that she was unwell after they came to know about her pregnancy, due to which they could not get her to undergo the ultrasound. “We were very excited about having a baby till we learnt that the baby will not live after birth,” he told the panel on Thursday. The panel comprised experts from various faculties including psychiatry, gynaecology and radiology. She was then referred to gynaecologist Dr. Sangeeta Pikale, who conducted two ultrasound tests that confirmed anencephaly, a condition where a large part of the brain and skull remains undeveloped in the feotus.
Medical experts say the case highlights the dire need to take another look at the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which allows abortions only up to 20 weeks. A draft amendment of 2104 in the bill that extends this limit to 24 weeks and allows abortion at any point during the pregnancy in cases of fetal anomaly, is yet to be introduced in Parliament.
In 2008, gynaecologist Dr. Nikhil Datar was the first one to approach the courts with his patient, Niketa Mehta, who wanted to terminate her 24-week-old pregnancy due to a fetal anomaly. A Special Leave Petition filed in the case still remains pending. The next hearing in the case in on January 17.
“We had first approached the Bombay High Court where the permission for abortion was denied,” said Dr. Datar, adding Ms. Mehta had a miscarriage in the 27th week. “In an odd way, god gave her justice that the court could not,” he said. Dr. Datar decided to fight the case and filed a SLP in the apex court with a prayer for changing the law or proving more elaborate interpretation of it.
