BMC run hospitals perform the highest number of abortions in Maharashtra

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

On an average, every day, around 530 women in Maharashtra undergo medical termination of pregnancy, in which those under Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) top other municipal corporations. The BMC is followed by Pune's twin city Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), while Pune (PMC) ranks third.

The report prepared by the Maharashtra State Family Welfare Department of Health on the subject, mentions that women prefer private hospitals. The report also said no abortion has been mentioned in Malegaon and Nanded for more than two years. As per statistics mentioned in Maharashtra, for four years from 2014 to 2018 (upto February) a total of 7,00,764 abortions took place, of which municipal corporations registered 3,41,009 abortions.

Dr Nandakumar Deshmukh assistant director of Maharashtra State Family Welfare Bureau said, "Abortion in certain conditions is a woman's right and we are trying to give the best treatment as per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 (MTP) and Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994(PCPNDT). We want women to approach government and recognised centres but they prefer private hospitals."

Dr A L Sharada said, "Medical abortions are safe if undertaken under the guidance of a registered medical practitioner and if the pills are acquired from an authorised pharmacist." Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive Health officer at BMC said, "In our municipal corporation abortions numbers are bound to be high considering migration and those from adjacent districts coming to our hospitals for treatment."

Dr Sanjay Gupte, former president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) on women preferring private hospital then Government said, "They prefer because of privacy issue, comfortable, avoid any documentary and in government hospital stress for CopperT usage."

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) statistics across the state over the past four years

Aasawari Deshpande volunteer who was part of government project to work on abortion issues faced by women said, "due to PCPNDT act and MTP act people assume that only sex selection is cause of abortion and use domestic remedies. The awareness is more on PCPNDT act but MTP no one is talking due to lack of awareness such issue is taking place. Abortion are taking place especially in Pimpri Chinchwad area the number is more due to IT hub, premarriage relationship and others.Private medical facilities are expensive, and financially out of the reach of most women. Stigma against premarital sex, or arising out of a romanticised notion of motherhood, less document work, no follow up post abortion, people change their name while enrolling too, leads women to resort to secrecy so they approach private hospital."

1,38,587
Total reported cases of abortions in 2016-17 in the state (upto February)

530
Number of women on average who undergo abortion every day in Maharashtra

Also read: Mumbai: Woman delivers baby boy after Sion hospital's botched abortion

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