NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday came down heavily over the response of the medical board of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) in a plea moved by a married woman seeking termination of her 8-month pregnancy after the court was told that the delay happened due to ‘election duty’ and ‘administrative reasons.’“It is due to administrative reasons and election duty that it got delayed, but the report will be ready by tomorrow,” the LNJP counsel submitted before Pratibha M Singh.
To this, the court came down heavily on the hospital administration, saying the doctors should present before the court if they don’t give MRI reports today itself. The 26-year-old woman had approached the court seeking the medical termination of pregnancy as her foetus suffers from cerebral abnormalities.
Considering the gestational period, Justice Pratibha M Singh had earlier directed the medical board of LNJP hospital to conduct a medical examination of the petitioner and submit a report to the court on Friday. As per the plea, during the medical examination, it was found that “there is an evidence of significantly dilated left lateral ventricle of brain, measuring 23.7 mm”.
The woman had mentioned in the petition that a cerebral abnormality was found in the foetus on November 12 and was confirmed by another ultrasound conducted at a private facility on November 14. As per the medical opinion, the abnormality was life-long and would subject the child to seizures etc, owing to immature cerebral development. However, she had undergone various ultrasounds since she conceived. Due to abnormalities of the foetus, mental injury is being caused to the petitioner, said the plea.