BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Over 137 abortions are carried out in a day, on an average, in Delhi hospitals, RTI data has revealed. In last five years, there were 246608 abortion cases reported, revealed an RTI reply signed by Dr Bimlesh Yadav, SPO-Maternal Health & MTP, Directorate of Family Welfare, Govt. of NCT of Delhi.

The data shows that in 2013-14, a total od 49355 pregnancies were aborted in Delhi's hospitals. There was a decline in the number of abortions the next year with figures coming down to 48423 but it went drastically up again in 2015-16 with 56089 cases. In 2016-17, there were 55554 and in 2017-18 as many as 39187 abortions conducted in Delhi hospitals.

Raj Hans Bansal, the activist who filed the RTI, said he applied for the information last year but received the reply only recently after approaching the Central Information Commission.

Mr Bansal told DTMT: "The number of legal abortions taking place in public hospitals is very high. It should be investigated if people are using medical ground as a reason for sex selective abortion. In the private sector, it is common."

He further stated, “The data shows that the number of unsafe abortions continues to be drastically high because of lack of access to hospital facilities, awareness and stigma around abortion.”

According to doctors, the situations under which a legal abortion is permitted include a case when continuation of the pregnancy poses risk to the life of the mother or to her physical or mental health, the foetus has any severe abnormalities, pregnancy occurred as a result of failure of contraception or if pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or rape.