Supreme court allows abortion of 26 weeks pregnant women

New Delhi July 4: A landmark judgment was delivered yesterday. The Supreme Court on July 3 has said that a woman can abort her 26-weeks pregnancy due to fatal health conditions of foetus. The court has pronounced its order after the SSKM hospital in Kolkata have submitted a medical report on the woman and her fetus.

The medical report has clearly indicated that it unsafe for the woman to deliver the child and there is high risk to the life of the woman and the child born would not survive.

Currently, women cannot undergo abortion of the child above 20 weeks according to Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 and they have to approach Supreme Court to get permission for undergoing abortion beyond 20 weeks up to 26 weeks.The supreme court decides whether a woman has a right to abort or not based on health report submited by a medical body appointed by the court.

Currently, many women have filed a petition to review such draconian provision and they have said that current technology and health care systems will make the life of women safe even if she undergoes abortion beyond 2o weeks and they have demanded to raise the ceiling up to 26 weeks based on a report submitted by medical board doctors.

Let's hope that supreme court relooks into the act and advises the government to amend the act so that women are benefitted.