Woman Seeking Termination Of 27 Weeks Abnormal Pregnancy: AIIMS to Delhi HC

The All-India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) today informed the Delhi High Court that the medical examination of a woman seeking termination of a 27-week abnormal pregnancy is underway. The High Court listed the matter tomorrow at 4 PM.

Justice Prathiba M Singh was informed by the AIIMS through an interim report that the petitioner was examined and further examination is underway.

Justice Singh noted the submission and directed for a final report to be filed. The matter will be heard at 4 PM tomorrow.

The High court directed the AIIMS to constitute a medical board FOR examining a woman who has sought permission to terminate 27 weeks of pregnancy. The woman stated that the foetus is suffering from cardiac abnormality.

The bench stated that “Considering the nature of abnormality let the AIIMS constitute a medical board.”
The court directed the petitioner to appear before the medical board at 3 PM on Saturday. The bench had directed AIIMS to file a report and listed the matter on Monday at 10.30 AM.
Therefore, the woman approached the court through advocate Anwesh Madhukar seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy.

The court noted that in the report of the ultrasound done on February 17, some abnormality was found in the fetus. Thereafter, the case was referred to a fetal medicine 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 fetus was found.It is further stated that no abnormality was found in the ultrasound done on January 5, 2023.

The Petitioner is a 32-year-old married woman who is currently at 27 weeks of gestational age and by way of the instant petition, she sought the intervention of the High Court in passing the 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).

In fact, that time is of the essence in the present case and also owing to the substantial fetal abnormalities, the Petitioner approached this Court 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,1970, the petition stated.