Lok Sabha Question No. 153 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-02
Subject: Study on Abortions
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: ANJU BALA, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 153 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND FEBRUARY, 2018

## STUDY ON ABORTIONS

## 153. SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether as per a report published in Lancer Global Health Medical Journal about 48.1 million pregnancies in India ended in abortions and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether 0.8 million women used unsafe methods for abortion putting their health and lives at risk and if so, the details of deaths caused by unsafe abortions in the cou try during the last three years and current year, State - wise;
- (c) whether absence of sa e, legal abortion services force women to seek help from untrained pharmacists, chemists leading to several complications during abortions and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is considering to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act permitting trained  healthcare personnel, to offer medical methods of abortion for pregnancies and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to provide safe maternal healthcare services in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a): A report published in Lancet Global Health Medical Journal mentions about 15.6 mill abortions that took place across India in 2015.

The Study is based on a sample of six states and is not representative of the countr

- (b)& (c) : There  are  various  reasons  for  unsafe  abortions  like  confidentiality,  st associated with abortion, need for anonymity, provider bias, self - medication etc . Disaggregated year - wise and state - wise data on causes of unsafe abortion and deaths caused by unsafe aborti is unavailable.

The Government aims to deliver safe and comprehensive abortion services to women i public health facilities and accredited pr ivate health facilities. The Government also provides supply of drugs and equipments for abortion and capacity building for training health pe for carrying MTPs.

( d): The proposed amendments to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 do not include any change in the category of service providers of Registered Medical Practi (RMPs) presently permitted under the MTP Act, 1971.

(e): The  key  steps  taken  under  the  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  to  provide  safe maternal healthcare ser vices in the country are as follows:

- Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Ja Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK).
- Every pregnant woman is given iron and folic acid, after the first trimester, to be ta blet  daily  till  delivery  and  same  is  continued  during  the  post - natal  period.  Pregnant women, who are found to be clinically anaemic, are given additional 1 tablet for two tablets daily. This has been now expanded to 6 months during ANC and 6 months during PNC. This happens as a part of routine ANC checkup.
- The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has been launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India to provide fixed -day assured, comprehensive and qual ity antenatal care universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month.
- Laqshya  is  being  launched  to  improve  the  quality  of  labour  rooms  and  provide  s delivery.
- Capacity building of MBBS doctors in Anesthesia (LSAS) and Obstetric Care including C - section  (EmOC)  skills  to  overcome  the  shortage  of  specialists  in  these  discip particularly in rural areas.
- Capacity buildings of SNs & ANMs in Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) and DAKSHATA programme  to  equip  them  for  managing  normal  deliver ies,  identify  complications,  do basic management and then refer at the earliest to higher facilities.
- To strengthen the quality of training, a new initiative has been taken for setti Skill Labs with earmarked skill stations for different training programs in the states for which necessary allocation of funds is made under NHM.
- Operationalization of adequate number of Primary Health Centres for providing 24 basic emergency obstetric care services.
- Operationalization  of  adequate  number  of  FRUs to  provide  24  X  7  comprehensive emergency obstetric care services.
- Establishing  Maternal  and  Child  Health  (MCH)  Wings  at  high  caseload  facilities improve the quality of care provided  to mothers and children.
- Name Based Web enabled Tracking of Pregnan t Women and New born babies so that provision of regular and complete services to them can be ensured.
- Mother  and  Child  Protection  Card  in  collaboration  with  the  Ministry  of  Women  an Child Development to monitor service delivery for mothers and children.
- Engagement  of  more  than  9.15  lakhs  Accredited  Social  Health  Activists  (ASHAs)  t generate demand and facilitate accessing of health care services by the community.
- Operationalization  of  Comprehensive  Abortion  Care  Services  and  Reproductive  Trac Infections and Sexually Transmitted Infections (RTI/STI) at health facilities with on 'Delivery Points.
- Newer  operational  guidelines  have  been  prepared  and  disseminated  to  the  States Screening for Diagnosis & management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism  during  pregnancy,  Calcium  supplementation  during  pregnancy  and lactation,  De - worming  during  pregnancy,  Maternal  Near  Miss  Review,  Screening  for Syphilis  during  pregnancy,  Guidance  note  on  use  of  Uterotonic  during  labor  a Guidance note on prevention and management of PPH.
- Guidelines  on  standardization  of  Labor  Rooms  and  creation  of  Obstetric  HDU  and Obstetric  ICU  at  District  Hospitals  and  Medical  Colleges  has  also  been  prepared disseminated to the States for improving quality of c re during delivery and child birth.
- Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health and Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions  for  achieving  improved  maternal  and  child  health  outcomes  throu continuum of care across life cycle.