New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will hear today the plea of a 33-year-old woman seeking permission to terminate her 28-week long pregnancy. The woman has sought permission to terminate the pregnancy medically due to some abnormalities in the fetus.
During the last hearing on Monday, the Delhi High Court had sought the opinion of the experts from AIIMS in this matter. Preliminary medical reports indicated that the fetus was alive and at this stage medical care may be required after the embryo is removed from the uterus.
Justice Anu Malhotra, who will be heading the bench, had said that in view of the medical report, the question is not whether the pregnancy can be terminated, but whether it should be done.
The petitioner has moved the court seeking permission to medically terminate her pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, claiming that the fetus was suffering from cardiac abnormalities and the chances of survival were very low.
The court had on December 22 asked AIIMS to constitute a medical board at the earliest to examine the woman. The court said that as per the report submitted by the AIIMS Medical Board, the fetus was survivable and had an 80 per cent chance of survival if it was given proper medical care.
The High Court has also asked the Board to state whether there is any physical or mental danger to the petitioner if the pregnancy continues. The counsel for the petitioner said that it is the right of the mother to decide whether she wants to continue the pregnancy or not.
The Indian law permits legal termination only until 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971', whereas the woman in concern in 28 weeks pregnant. The court will make further decisions over the matter today.
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