Talking about this matter, Dr Monal, Medical Officer and Gynaecologist from Bihar told India Today, “Considering the cases where foetal malformation is diagnosed at a later stage, this Act is quite beneficial for us. Many parents can’t afford the treatment for the child post-delivery and are incapable of providing a healthy life for these special kids. In such cases, medical termination of the pregnancy considering the pregnant women’s health parameters is the best decision to be taken.”
Earlier, the termination of pregnancy required the opinion of one doctor if done within 12 weeks of conception and two doctors if done between 12 and 20 weeks.
Speaking on the same, an anonymous gynaecologist stated that even now, a pregnant woman will require the opinion of two doctors if they want the termination between 20 and 24 weeks.
Pregnancy and termination have a great impact on a woman’s mental health.
Dr Harsh Jain from Mumbai said, “According to me, this is a good decision considering the social and mental health impact of unwanted pregnancy which can be due to contraceptive failure or congenital anomalies or rape victims. In such cases, the medical termination of pregnancy should be done by trained and qualified practitioners.”
Dr Mayank Malra, Medical Officer from Kanpur said that in many cases the untimely death of the father adversely affects the pregnancy, leading to several financial issues. He told India Today, “In such cases, the medical termination of pregnancy is a better option, especially in the economically weaker sections of society.”
Talking about the difficulties faced by women during an emergency declared by the government, he said, “During the time of a disaster or emergency declared by the government, medical termination of pregnancy has been chosen as an option due to lack of medical facilities in the disaster-struck area or for families who have lost everything in a disaster and are not in a position to take care of the newborn.”
