Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A total of 118 private medical institutes in Bhopal have been identified to provide safe abortion services under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971. As per the Act, abortions can only be performed by registered medical practitioners and only under specific health-related circumstances.
The MTP Act, initially enacted to regulate and provide for the termination of certain pregnancies, was amended in September 2021 to extend the upper gestational limit from 20 to 24 weeks. This amendment aimed to address numerous legal petitions from women seeking medical termination beyond the previously permitted timeframe.
In September 2022, the Supreme Court also granted permission for a petitioner to terminate her 22-week pregnancy, reinforcing the need for accessible and safe abortion services.
Bhopal's chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr. Prabhakar Tiwari, speaking at a Comprehensive Abortion Care Orientation, said that only MTP Act-registered doctors are authorised to perform abortions.
Alongside government healthcare facilities, 118 private medical institutions in Bhopal have been identified to ensure safe abortion services in compliance with legal provisions.
The session also covered key healthcare initiatives, including early antenatal care (ANC) registration, high-risk pregnancy management, sterilisation programmes, cancer screening and disease control measures under the 'Nirogi Kaya Abhiyan.'
Moreover, discussions focused on the progress of Ayushman card distribution for senior citizens, tuberculosis eradication, leprosy control and vector-borne disease prevention programmes.
