Fake Doctors Conducting Illegal Abortions
Source: The Hindu
GS II: Health
Overview
- News in Brief
- What is the situation of Illegal abortion?
Why in the News?
Police investigation into the fake doctor’s racket at Agarwal Medical Centre, Greater Kailash-I, reveals multiple cases of illegal sex determination linked to abortions.
News in Brief
- Further investigations reveal a connection between the clinic and illegal sex determination procedures leading to multiple cases of abortions.
- The doctors would charge somewhere between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 instead of the usual cost of ₹70,000-₹80,000 for a gallbladder operation.
- This would lure patients from lower-income families who could neither afford private medical care nor spare time to be treated at government facilities with long waiting lines.
What is the situation of Illegal abortion?
- Unsafe abortions are a major public health concern in India, accounting for a significant proportion of maternal mortality and morbidity.
- The prevalence of illegal abortions stems from various factors, including lack of access to safe and legal abortion services, societal stigma associated with abortion, and restrictive abortion laws.
Factors Contributing to Illegal Abortions
- Limited access to safe and legal abortion services
- Many women in India, particularly those in rural areas, lack access to safe and legal abortion services due to geographical barriers, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and a shortage of trained healthcare providers.
- Societal stigma associated with abortion
- Abortion remains a taboo subject in Indian society, leading to women seeking clandestine abortions from unqualified providers, often in unsafe conditions.
- Restrictive abortion laws
- The Indian Penal Code (IPC) allows abortion only under certain circumstances, such as when the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
Consequences of Illegal Abortions
- Maternal mortality and morbidity
- Unsafe abortions are a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in India.
- Women who undergo unsafe abortions are at increased risk of complications such as bleeding, infection, and organ damage.
- Psychological trauma
- The emotional and psychological trauma associated with unsafe abortions can be profound, leading to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Measures to Address Illegal Abortions
- Expanding access to safe and legal abortion services
- This includes increasing the availability of trained healthcare providers, establishing well-equipped abortion clinics, and providing transportation and accommodation support for women seeking abortion services.
- Raising awareness and reducing stigma
- Comprehensive sex education should be integrated into school curricula to provide accurate information about reproductive health and abortion.
- Revising abortion laws
- The IPC’s stringent abortion laws should be reviewed and updated to reflect modern medical practices and women’s reproductive rights.
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