March 17, 2020
Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar speaks on The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Thank you Sir. I would like to congratulate the Government for the concerted effort of so many Ministries together in containing the coronavirus and that the medical profession is doing a great job in our country. The doctors are working very hard. When schools are closed, colleges are closed and assembly not being allowed then the medical profession they are working day in and day out to contain this disease, treat the patients but on the behalf of the medical community I would request they are getting very little pay, the salary is like upper division clerk, we should think Sir. Later on, it is not related but I got to what I said. Anyway this Bill, I believe it will go forward towards empowerment of women in this country further and establish their rights over their reproductive life. But will the arborist go unsung? Because as we are talking here about 24 weeks, as a person who is working since 1985-1986, as a pioneer in this Country for detection of fetal anomalies, I would like to point out that even as a doctor who worked in Government hospitals, hardly anybody in this August House knows the environment of the operating room where this medical termination of pregnancy take place. When we were breaking the ampules of injections, throwing the dirty gloves, we are throwing the scalpel blades. The abortion is also thrown in the dirty bucket. So at 24 weeks, sometimes the abort is breathed, sometimes the arborist cries. So what would the feeling of the doctor be, the gynecologist who throws 24 weeks abortise into that bucket of needles and pins. We have to keep in mind that this is definitely for the betterment of the women strengthening their empowerment and rights to their own life.
I can also draw in here the sustainable development of the 17 goals and 169 targets. The third goal is about looking at the health of the women, to reduce the maternal mortality rate and also give the child a good life. As far as statistics goes, in our country today, 56 per cent of abortions are unsafe. Out of the 6.4 million abortions done annually in India, 3.6 million are unsafe, resulting in 13 per cent maternal deaths, and 50,000 all over the world.
So to prevent maternal deaths, we need safe abortions and that is why the Bill is being brought, in which a committee is being made, a board will be made, with a gynecologist, a paediatrician and a sonologist. A radiologist should not be there because it’s the sonologist who detects the anomalies or the well-being of the baby. But alongside, we we should have a anesthetist because sometimes in late abortions, when we are doing MTP it can either be through induction of labor or through hysterectomy and in that case we would require an anesthetist and we should also have psychiatrist to counsel the mother, whether she is actually looking for it or not because sometimes after fetal sex determination a woman is forced to undergo abortion. We all know in this country from the fetus sex ratio declining. So the counselor should also be there.
Fast Track Courts should be set up for litigated cases. Young girl of eleven years, raped, she does not even know what is the meaning of rape, what is the meaning of pregnancy, she cannot even recognize the changes taking place in her body. It is only after three to four months, her mother recognizes certain changes, takes her to a doctor, then she is already passed twenty weeks when the doctor sends her to the Court, the Court takes another two months, so by the time the permission is granted it is already so late and it endangers her life. So fast track courts, particularly in cases where young women, young girls, have been raped, they have been exposed to violence or incest, and also for cases in which medical conditions exist in the mother, should be set up. The blood volume increases in pregnancy we all know, twelve times, if the heart starts failing in later pregnancy, cardiac failure sets in, renal failure sets in, then they can be given permission…..
then they can be given permission for 24 weeks. Otherwise I would feel that it should be limited to 22 weeks, because, till then, the fetus is not so viable, 24 weeks is actually viable, when the mother can feel the kick of the child inside her tummy or the bund has actually been set up.
As far as ultrasound is concerned, being a pioneer in the field in the country I know, major anomalies like Analcapaly, Gastroschisis, Ectopia Schisis or Renal Adjonasiss, this can be detected as early as 14 or 16 weeks. So, if we can make it mandatory in district hospitals, that all pregnant women for institutionalised delivery, like in West Bengal now we have 98% institutional delivery, maternal maternity has come down to 113 in West Bengal, I am sure that we can also institutionalize pregnant woman to go to a district hospital for a ultrasound scan for 16-18 minutes, where all anomalies can be seen and an anomalous fetus can be aborted, should be aborted, because it is incompatible with life. And that can happen by 18-20 weeks.
So maternal disease or fetal disease is a good reason for the fetus to be taken out even after 24 weeks. Rape cases or cases of violence can be taken out after 24 weeks, but for all other cases where the choice is with the mother, they can easily choose early from 18-20 weeks, so that we don’t have to take upon ourselves, the mother of child who was breathing when it was taken out and instead of two registered medical practitioners, this should be actually two specialist gynecologists for their opinion when the abortion is being taken up to 24 weeks. Besides this, rubella and other diseases, which can expose the child to disease and incompatibility in life, then also we can extend this up to 24 weeks. But however, this is an excellent attempt, it is a very good proposal that the right of the woman is being recognized and she is being given her own choice towards reproductive health.
Thank you, Sir.
