PGIMER panel against abortion, hint members
THE VICTIM SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE PREGNANCY AS THE 20WEEK DEADLINE IS ALREADY OVER, SAYS A PANEL MEMBER
CHANDIGARH: The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) panel constituted to examine the 10-year-old pregnant rape victim for abortion is learnt to have recommended against it. The girl is nearly eight-month pregnant.
The minor was examined by an eight-member team of doctors following a direction from the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on Monday asking whether the pregnancy of the minor can be terminated.
The minor should continue with the pregnancy as she has already crossed the deadline to abort the child, one of the panel members said.
“Do you think that she can abort at this stage?” questioned another member adding: “Our (panel members) views are what you are thinking.” The doctors were not ready to be quoted citing instructions not to talk to anybody. The country has a 20- week (five months) legal ceiling on abortion.
The girl was accompanied by her mother, member secretary, UT Chandigarh, State Legal Services Authority Mahavir Singh, along with some police officials for the examination at the PGIMER conducted between 9:30 am and 1 pm. Upon examination, the panel isle arnt to have submitted the report by at 2:30 pm in a sealed cover to the PGIMER director, who has further submitted it to Mahavir Singh.
The panel was constituted on Monday. It was chaired by Dr D Behera, head, pulmonary medicine, PGIMER, and member secretary, Dr Vipin Koushal. The other members are Dr Vanita Suri, head, gynaecology, Dr Pr aveen Kumar, paediatrician, Dr N Khandelwal, head, radio diagnosis, Dr Aj it A was t hi, head, psychiatry department, Dr Swati Kumari, head, internal medicine and Dr Manoj Kumar Rohit from the cardiology department.
On July ,24, when HT had spoken to some gynaecologists, five of them had ruled out the possibility of abortion. The girl was examined after the SC had asked the member secretary of the state legal services authority to assist the panel in the examination and submit a report .