The rape survivor who knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court to be allowed to medically terminate her pregnancy at 24 weeks is recovering well following the procedure.
In a landmark judgement on Monday, the apex court had permitted the 24-week pregnant woman to seek medical help to terminate the pregnancy. During the procedure, doctors at the civic-run Cooper Hospital in Andheri induced labour in the patient.
“Everything went well. The patient is physically fine and we are trying our best to ensure that she is not affected mentally by all this. She will be discharged in a day or two,” said Dr Reena Wani, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Cooper Hospital.
The rape survivor had approached the Supreme Court after several doctors refused to terminate the pregnancy as she had crossed the 20-week mark.
The patient’s mother has been with her throughout her ordeal.
Talking about the foetus, Dr Wani said,”In such cases, the foetus may have a heartbeat but it can’t be said if it’ll survive. In case of this patient, tt was an immature live birth.”
Cloud Nine Hospital medical director Dr Nikhil Datar, who had examined the patient, said: “The medical condition of the foetus was incompatible with life. This judgement is a progessive one and will pave the way for many other distressed women in similar situations.”
About the case
The rape survivor, supported by government-run NGO Dilasa, files a petition in the Supreme Court seeking permission for termination of pregnancy at 24 weeks as the foetus, with no brain and abdominal wall, could pose a threat to her life
The apex court orders a medical board to examine the petitioner and give a report urgently as any more delay could endanger her life
After a thorough examination of the patient, the medical board confirms the abnormalities of the foetus, saying it is severely deformed and its condition is ‘incompatible with life’
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on July 25 allows the woman to terminate her pregnancy even though she has crossed the legally permissible duration of 20 weeks