Delhi HC Asks AIIMS To Examine Woman Seeking Termination Of 27 Weeks Abnormal Pregnancy

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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the All India Medical Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board to examine the woman who has sought permission to terminate 27 weeks of pregnancy. The woman has said that the foetus is suffering from cardiac abnormality. Justice Prathiba M Singh said, "considering the nature of abnormality let a medical board be constituted by the AIIMS."

The court directed the petitioner to appear before the medical board at 3 pm tomorrow. The bench has also directed AIIMS to file a report and listed the matter for Monday at 10.30 am.

The petitioner is a 32-year-old married woman who is currently at a 27 weeks gestational age and by way of the instant petition, she has sought the intervention of the High Court in passing directions to conduct medical termination of her pregnancy under Section 3(2B), Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 (as amended by the MTP Amendment Act, 2021).

Given the fact that time is of the essence in the present case and also owing to the substantial fetal abnormalities, the Petitioner has approached this Court through advocate Anwesh Madhukar and Prachi Nirwan for enforcement of her `Right to life` under Article 21, Constitution of India, and has sought directions against the Respondents qua medical termination of her pregnancy under Section 3(2B), Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.

The court noted that after the report of the ultrasound done on February 17, some abnormality was found in the foetus. Thereafter the case was referred to a foetal medical expert. The abnormality was found in the subsequent examination on February 25.

The court perused the report of February 25 wherein a cardiac abnormality with the foetus was found. It is also stated that no abnormality was found in the ultrasound done earlier on January 5.