Amendments to MTP Act soon: Delhi LG VK Saxena

New Delhi: After a two-year delay, the proposal to notify women-friendly amendments in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act that provides for universal access for women to comprehensive abortion care has been approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

LG V K Saxena has directed the health department to investigate the lapses that led to delays in the processing of the matter.

Delhi will soon notify women-friendly amendments to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena approving the city government's proposal in this regard, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday.  

However, Saxena expressed “grave displeasure” and “surprise” that the matter was presented for approval after a lapse of more than two years, they added.

The communication for notifying the Act was mailed by the Centre to the Delhi government in December 2021, he added.

Saxena directed the health department to ascertain the lapses leading to the “inordinate delay” in processing the matter and asked to assign the responsibility and exercise caution in the future, the official said.

The Act was amended by the Centre in 2021, after which the opinion of only one RMP is required up to 20 weeks of gestation and of two RMPs to terminate pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation under special circumstances. The amended Act provided for the constitution of a medical board for granting permission to terminate pregnancy beyond 24 weeks under circumstances to be decided by it.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conveyed in 2021 that the forms for the documentation of medical termination of pregnancy (which were earlier issued in terms of the MTP Act, 1971) were updated in consonance with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act and Rules, 2021.

The ministry had directed the states and Union territories to notify Forms 1, 2 and 3 in the official gazette under the MTP Regulations, the official explained.

The amendments carried out in Form 1 (RMP Opinion Form) require the name, qualifications and address of only one RMP and the words “married woman” have been replaced with “woman” and the word “husband” has been replaced with “partner”.

In Form 2, which stipulates the regulations, three additional sub-heads regarding the duration of pregnancy have been added, and the reasons for termination of pregnancy have been divided into A, B and C categories, depending on the number of weeks of gestation.

Form 3 concerns the admission register in which a phrase has been added for pregnancy beyond 24 weeks and which says that the names of the medical board members have to be mentioned.

The LG was informed that the Department of Health and Family Welfare’s proposal regarding the notification of the statutory forms has been endorsed by the health minister and approved by the chief minister.