Lok Sabha Question No. 1953 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Abortion Service
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: L.S. Tejasvi Surya

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1953 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH NOVEMBER, 2019

## ABORTION SERVICE

## 1953. SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

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

(a) whether there have been any intervention/decision by the Government to expand access to abortion  services through  functioning  of  public  health facilities,  adequate,  qualitative  and unbiased services and increasi ng the number of trained service providers, if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  11.5  million/73  per  cent medication  abortions  conducted outside  of  health facilities  in  2015, if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps aken  to  ensure  quality  care  in abortion  services,  including  providing accurate  information  on  the  abortion pills  and provisions for follow - up care; and

(c) the details of actions being taken/ proposed to be taken to address the gaps on abortion evidence/data  so  that  accurate information  is  available  in  official  statistics and  national surveys?

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

(a): Provision  of  Comprehensive  Abortion  Care  (CAC)  services  is  an  important comp onent of RMNCAH+N program under Govt. of India.

National Health Mission (NHM), provides support to the states and UTs for various acti to promote safe abortion:

- Provision of comprehensive safe abortion services at public health facilities li 24*7 PHCs/  FRUs  (DHs/  SDHs/  CHCs  etc.)  where  trained  Medical  Practitioners  are posted. As per the records received from the States & UTs, there are total 1 public  health facilities  providing  1 st trimester  services  (upto  12  weeks)  and  4,213 public heal th facilities providing both 1 st and 2 nd trimester (upto 20 weeks) services. So far, 11,394 Medical Officers have been trained in CAC services
- Provision of funds to States & UTs for procurement of equipment and drugs includi pregnancy detection kits (for early detection of pregnancy).
- Capacity  Building  of  ANMs,  ASHAs  to  provide  confidential  counseling  for  safe abortion, post - abortion care and post -abortion contraception.
- Provision of funds for Information Education & Communication (IEC) material viz CAC posters, Flipcharts, Leaflets, Asha/ANM booklets etc.
- Comprehensive Abortion Care Training and Service Delivery Guideline (2010) has been revised in 2018 and issued to all the States & UTs in the country to fac quality care.
- GuidanceHandbook forA SHA and  community  health  workers  on  Compressive Abortion Care (CAC) has been developed and disseminated to the States/ UTs.

(b): The  data  on  Medical  Abortions  with  Medical  Methods  of  Abortion  (MMA)  drugs outside of health facilities is not available with the Ministry. However, as per NFHS - 4 (2015 16), 27.4% abortions have been conducted outside of public and private health facilitie

Support is being provided to the States for Capacity Building of Medical office provision of Comprehensive Abortion Care including use of MMA drugs.

MMA  guidelines  are  available  online  for  perusal  of  service  providers  for  accu information on Abortion Pills and for provision of follow up.

(c): Under MTP Rules and Regulations, 2003, monthly reporting of total numbe r of cases of MTP   in prescribed format is mandatory which is sent from MTP sites to the dis authorities.

The States/UTs send compiled report on MTP cases to MoHFW on quarterly basis.

Health Management Information System (HMIS) also captures the ab ortion related data on induced and spontaneous abortion.

National  Family  Health  Survey  also  captures  Data  on  Abortion  on  following indicators:

- o % of pregnancies resulted in abortion
- o place of abortion
- o person who performed abortion
- o complications from abortio n
- o treatment for the complications
- o place of treatment