IMA opposes changes proposed to MTP Act
8 Nov 2014 4:53 AM IST
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written a letter to the prime minister and union health minister requesting them to withdraw the proposed amendments to the new Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act which allow Ayurvedacharyas, Homeopaths and Nurses to conduct MTP on pregnant mothers.
‘This is apparently incorrectly based on an unscientific study done by Population Council in 2012 which showed that trained nurses and Ayurveda physicians provide medical abortion as safely as MBBS doctors,’ said Narendra Saini, secretary general of IMA.
‘At the outset, it may be noted that in 2012 when the MTP Act 1971 was in place which does not allow anyone other than an MBBS doctor registered under the Act to conduct abortions, how could the Ayurveda doctors and nurses carry out MTPs as per the study conducted by Population Council. This smells of malpractices in the medical field,’ he added.
The IMA members also stated that the proposal of permitting non MBBS doctors and paramedical staff to conduct MTPs is also against the provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act, which does not recognise even paramedical personnel trained by the doctors for conducting medical procedures.
‘MTP is a procedure meant to be conducted by an allopathic doctor only and cannot be conducted by the paramedical staff on their own as they are not at all equipped to handle critical medical conditions arising out of excessive bleeding especially during incomplete abortions as a result of procedures provided by unauthorised medical or paramedical professionals during and after MTPs,’ added Narendra Saini.
‘This is apparently incorrectly based on an unscientific study done by Population Council in 2012 which showed that trained nurses and Ayurveda physicians provide medical abortion as safely as MBBS doctors,’ said Narendra Saini, secretary general of IMA.
‘At the outset, it may be noted that in 2012 when the MTP Act 1971 was in place which does not allow anyone other than an MBBS doctor registered under the Act to conduct abortions, how could the Ayurveda doctors and nurses carry out MTPs as per the study conducted by Population Council. This smells of malpractices in the medical field,’ he added.
The IMA members also stated that the proposal of permitting non MBBS doctors and paramedical staff to conduct MTPs is also against the provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act, which does not recognise even paramedical personnel trained by the doctors for conducting medical procedures.
‘MTP is a procedure meant to be conducted by an allopathic doctor only and cannot be conducted by the paramedical staff on their own as they are not at all equipped to handle critical medical conditions arising out of excessive bleeding especially during incomplete abortions as a result of procedures provided by unauthorised medical or paramedical professionals during and after MTPs,’ added Narendra Saini.
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