CUTTACK: A committee headed by the chief district medical officer (CDMO), Jagatsinghpur on Friday informed the Orissa High Court that the doctors, who medically examined the physically and mentally challenged rape victim, have opined that her 24-week pregnancy has to be allowed to continue.
The Court was hearing through video conferencing a petition filed by the 22-year-old rape victim’s mother seeking permission to terminate her daughter’s pregnancy. Provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act do not permit a woman to terminate pregnancy, if it has crossed 20 weeks and she will have to seek the High Court’s permission to do so.
In his affidavit, CDMO Bijaya Panda said two gynaecologists, one Associate Professor and another Assistant Professor from SCB Medical College Hospital, after examining the victim have opined that she is “having pregnancy of 24 weeks with neurological psychiatric comorbidities and termination of pregnancy at this stage may result in life threatening complications even with best available treatment”.
“Further, they have also opined that pregnancy may be allowed to continue with antenatal care and confinement to be planned at a tertiary care centre,” Panda said in his affidavit. “On psychiatric examination, the patient was found to have profound mental retardation. Her condition is of such nature that she cannot take care of herself and is totally dependent. Further, the patient was already diagnosed as a case of severe mental retardation as per the disability certificate issued in 2010,” the CDMO said.
Taking note of the affidavit, Justice Biswanath Rath observed that the report was silent on the condition of the foetus and directed for submission of report when he takes up the matter for final hearing in his next sitting.