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FORENSIC MEDICINE
OBJECTIVES
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act
(M.T.P.)
Transplantation of Human Organs Act.
The Workmens Compensation Act.
Consumer Protection Act.
The Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act.
Mental Health Act.
Medical Termination Of
Pregnancy
(M.T.P) Act 1971
INDICATIONS
1) Therapeutic: When the continuation of
the pregnancy endangers the life of a
woman, or may cause severe injury to her
physical or mental health.
2) Eugenic: When there is a risk of child
being born with serious physical and
mental abnormality. This may occur in.
(a) If the pregnant woman in first three
months suffer from
i. German measles,(incidence of congenital
defects about 10%)
ii. Smallpox or chickenpox.
iii. Severe viral infections
iv. Toxoplasmosis
(b) If the pregnant woman is treated with
drugs like thalidomide, cortisone, aminopterin,
antibiotic drugs or if she consumes
hallucinogens or antidepressants.
(c) If the mother is treated by X-ray or
radioisotopes.
(d) Insanity of the parents.
(e) Viral hepatitis.
3) Humanitarian: When pregnancy has been
caused by rape.
4) Social:
(a) When pregnancy has resulted from the
failure of contraceptive methods in case of
married woman, which is likely to cause
serious injury to her mental health.
(b) When social or economic environment,
actual or reasonably expected, can injure
the mothers health.
RULES
(1) Only a qualified registered medical
practitioner having prescribed experience
can terminate pregnancy. A registered
practitioner can qualify if he has assisted in
performance of 25 cases of M.T.P. in a
recognised hospital.
(2) The pregnancy should be terminated in
government hospitals or hospitals
recognised by the government for this
purpose.
(3) Private hospitals may take up abortion if
they obtain a licence from Chief Medical
Officer of the district.
(4) The consent of the woman is required
before conducting the abortion: written
consent of the guardian is required if the
woman is a minor or a mentally ill person.
Consent of the husband is not necessary.
(5) Abortion cannot be performed on the
request of the husband, if the woman herself
is not willing.
(6) The woman need not produce proof of her
age. The statement of the woman that she is
over 18 years of age is accepted.
(7) It is enough for the woman to state that
she was raped, and it is not necessary that a
complaint was lodged with a police.
(8) Professional secrecy has to be maintained.
(9) If the period pregnancy is below 12 weeks,
it can be terminated on the opinion of a single
doctor.
(10) If the period of pregnancy is below 20
weeks, two doctors must agree that there is
an indication.
(11) Once the opinion is formed, the
termination can be done by any one doctor.
(12) In an emergency: pregnancy can be
terminated by a single doctor even without
required training (even after 20 weeks)
without consulting a second doctor, in a
private hospital which is not recognised.
(13) The termination of pregnancy by a
person who is not registered medical
practitioner (person concerned), or in an
unrecognised hospital (administrative head)
shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment
for a term which shall not be less than 2
years, but may extend yo 7 years.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The owner/head of the hospital should