HYDERABAD: A 19-year-old who was reportedly 20-weeks pregnant underwent an abortion surgery and died late on Sunday. She underwent a surgery at a maternity clinic where she bled heavily and was shifted to a private hospital where she was declared dead.
However, she was over 20 weeks pregnant, making the abortion illegal under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy(MTP) Act, 1971. According to the girl’s partner, she had been pregnant for five months. However, police suspect that the foetus was seven months old and are awaiting medical confirmation.
Though the woman is a major and can consent to an abortion, a surgery to this effect can be performed only if the mother’s life is under threat. That also allows only up to 12 weeks, if one doctor signs the approval. In the case of pregnancy between 12 and 20 weeks, two doctors need to sign it. The DMHO is being consulted to look into the authenticity of the clinic in question.
According to Vanasthalipuram police, the girl along with her partner Madhu, a relative, approached Dr Girija Rani, who runs Anusha Maternity Clinic in Kamalangar. The girl's parents were reportedly not informed about the incident and Madhu convinced the girl that they would not be any problems.
But the surgery resulted in uncontrollable bleeding after which the panicked doctors rushed her to Kamala Hospital in Dilsukhnagar, where she was declared brought dead.
Based on her father’s complaint, who was informed by police, a case was registered against doctor Girija Rani and Madhu and they have been arrested.
Vanasthalipuram inspector S Murali Krishna said the doctor’s negligence is suspected to have caused her death. A case has been registered under sections 312 (causing miscarriage) and 312(death caused by an act done with an intent to cause miscarriage) of the Indian Penal Code.
Besides sections 312 and 314, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 also prevents termination of pregnancy, especially after 12 weeks. Except for a government hospital or place approved for the purpose, no other clinic or doctor has the licence to terminate a pregnancy.
Police said they have written to the district medical health officer for an inquiry on the clinic. “Once the DMHO’s report after inspection of the clinic is done, depending on it, we will book the clinic and the doctor under the MTP Act,” said inspector S Murali Krishna.
The deceased girl's body was shifted to Osmania General Hospital for an autopsy.