Foeticide: nursing home sealed

Officials of the Health Department today sealed a portion of the Singla Maternity and General Hospital in Phase I here today for allegedly carrying out activities in violation of the MTP Act.

The hospital as well the doctor who terminated a pregnancy in violation of the MTP Act were booked. The labour room and the operating theatre complex were sealed.

A team of four doctors led by Dr Maninder Jit Singh, SMO in charge of the Civil Hospital, raided the hospital and gathered the necessary evidence before the Ropar Civil Surgeon, Dr Yash Pal Singla, reached the hospital.

Dr Singla said a female foetus, which was terminated, and the instruments used in this regard were seized by the raiding team. He said the hospital was not authorised to carry out activities under the Act.

Dr Singla said medical termination of pregnancy was allowed only in government hospitals or those private hospitals that had been given an approval  in this regard by the government.

The termination could be done only up to 20 weeks, but in this case, the doctor had terminated a 23-week old pregnancy. He said action would be taken against the hospital under the PNDT Act.

The Civil Surgeon said that a reward of Rs 5,000 would be given to persons who would help detect female foeticide cases. He said information in this regard could be secretly provided to him.

Dr S.L. Singla, owner of the hospital, said the patient came in pain and was bleeding. Efforts were made to save the life of the patient. He said it was a case of delivery and not termination of pregnancy. The baby died before delivery and the patient was suffering from low blood pressure.