The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a woman from Pune to abort her 25-week foetus after medical opinion suggested that there was no chance of survival of the foetus as the skull and brain were undeveloped.
Taking the opinion of doctors on record, the Bench of Justices SA Bobde and lN Rao allowed the 22-year-old woman to undergo abortion. The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar pointed out that in view of such cases coming to the SC, the Government has written to all States and Union Territories to constitute a Medical Board to review them.
The apex court had earlier suggested to Kumar to consider forming a Medical Board in each State that could consider cases of termination of pregnancy beyond the permissible 20 week period provided under Section 3(2)(b) of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971. Since no hospital or doctor would be willing to terminate a pregnancy beyond 20 weeks despite seeing a clear risk to the life of the mother and foetus, aggrieved mothers appeal to the apex court and even receive favourable orders in many cases.