20,000 model facilities identified to promote safe abortion practices

July 7, 2012

New Delhi, July 7: India is going all out to publicize safe abortion practices.

For the first time, the Union health ministry has asked states to conduct a massive campaign popularizing safe abortion, besides informing women that the confidentiality clause will keep their identity secret.

The ministry has also identified 20,000 model health facilities across the country that will now be open for abortion service round the clock.

The National Rural Health Mission's (NRHM) Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) for 2012-13 of all states mentions the push required for first trimester safe abortion service.

The fund allocation of states will be cut, if such service isn't doled out free to all women.

NRHM mission director Anuradha Gupta told TOI that 8% of all maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion.

India recorded 6.5 million abortions (of the total 10.5 million abortions in the south and central Asia region) in 2008 of which 66% were deemed unsafe.

The Guttmacher Institute recently said unsafe abortion has become rampant in India, with the region recording 200 deaths for every one lakh abortions.

Gupta said the ministry has sent guidelines on comprehensive abortion care to all the states which includes directions on how to counsel women before and after conducting an abortion.

"India has 1.75 lakh health facilities of which 20,000 are performing really well as far as making available the bouquet of maternal health services is concerned. We have mapped these facilities by name and have made them single-window delivery points. Now, they will provide abortion service 24x7," Gupta told TOI.

She added, "Doctors in these 20,000 facilities will be trained to conduct safe abortion and will be stocked with drugs and equipment needed to deal with unintended facilities. States have also been asked to carry out a massive publicity drive to inform women that abortion is legal in India."

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad recently said that "safe abortion care has also been made an integral part of ASHA's orientation and training in order to equip them with the skills to create awareness on abortion issues in the women and the community and facilitate them in accessing services for safe abortion care."

Dr Gilda Sedgh from the Guttmacher Institute told TOI "Abortion is legal in India and the service is much safer that many other developing countries. But for some reason, women choosing to abort are not taking advantage of this liberal law. They are also getting abortion done in unsafe clinics. That's why a good measure of abortions in India are unsafe"

"There is a tremendous need for the country's family planning programme to spread awareness for safe abortion and also push for increased use of contraception and use of safe abortion services," she added. Dr Sedgh said 13% of all maternal deaths in the south and central Asia region is due to unsafe abortion.

Unsafe abortion is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a procedure for terminating a pregnancy that is performed by an individual lacking the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards, or both.

The health ministry data suggests that the number of induced abortions has started to dip in India. However, in absolute numbers, India in 2008 saw 6.41 lakh abortions across 12510 institutions, approved to carry out Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP).

In 2009, the Family Welfare Statistics in India recorded 7.25 lakh MTPs in 2005, 7.21 lakh in 2006 and 6.82 lakh in 2007.

Going by the 2008 figures, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of MTPs at 89,194, followed by Tamil Nadu (63,875), Odisha (59,945), Assam (58,409) and Maharashtra (54,545). The other states with high abortion numbers include West Bengal (46,753), Haryana (31,126), Delhi (30,846), Rajasthan (29,292), Gujarat (27,837) and Bihar (24,149). The states with the lowest abortion figures are Daman and Diu (42) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (94) and Goa (930).

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Agencies
March 7,2020

New Delhi, Mar 7: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad has taunted Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati saying that she has lost her way. He also said that one will have to work for the larger interest of the society to bring about equality. Only the speeches cannot improve the condition of the Dalits, their participation in power must increase.

In an interview with media persons, Chandrashekhar said: "Members of minority community, Dalits and backward classes are being targeted in the country. Their rights are being taken away. Our workers want that they too should get equal share in political power. Keeping this in mind, we are going to form a new political party on March 15. Their (Dalits) issues will have to be raised. Mere speeches will not work for Bahujan society, one has to raise voice in their favour. They should get a share in power."

On the question that how he would find a foothold in view of large political base of the BSP, Chandrashekhar said, "We are not looking for an alternative. Look at the crores of Muslims, Dalits, members of backward community and minorities. We have to protect their interests. We have a large organisation in the state. Our Bharat Bandh was also successful".

On the question that with which party he will forge an alliance in 2022 after forming his party on March 15, Chandrashekhar said: "When we are forming our party then we don't need to go seeking alliance with anyone. Our party will be formed on the basis of some principles. Whoever will find it suitable will come close to us".

On meeting with Yogi government's former minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, he said that Rajbhar is not a controversial person. He is a big backward leader. He raises voice in favour of the backwards in the Assembly. He also supported us when I was in jail. We talked about how to stop the BJP and will take all necessary steps to prevent the BJP from coming back to power.

When asked why he had several run-ins with the police, Chandrashekhar said: "Ask this question to the police. Have I broken any law? Am I not a citizen of this country? There is no freedom of speech in the Yogi government. This is happening at the behest of the government. We are just opposing it".

Talking about the CAA, NRC and the NPR, he said: "We will not stage protest because the government does not want it. Any law which is wrong in our view will be opposed. This is a secular country. The CAA will divide the country. If there is anything against the Indian Constitution, we will raise our voice. Laws will not be allowed to be made on the basis of religion".

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News Network
February 18,2020

New Delhi, Feb 18: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot is the richest minister in the AAP government, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday.

In a statement, the NGO said, Delhi Election Watch and ADR have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all the seven-party leaders including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

According to the statement, the minister with the lowest declared total assets is Gopal Rai with assets worth Rs 90.01 lakh.

"The minister with the highest declared total assets is Kailash Gahlot from Najafgarh constituency with assets worth Rs 46.07 crore," it stated.

The report by ADR comes on the day Kejriwal and his six ministers took charge after the formation of the new AAP government.

Chief Minister Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues took charge of their respective offices on Monday and asserted that they would work to fulfil the promises made in the "guarantee card", released during the poll campaign, including reduction in pollution and expansion of metro network.

Members of his Cabinet are -- Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Imran Hussain, Gopal Rai and Kailash Gahlot.

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News Network
June 29,2020

New Delhi, Jun 29: A disturbing video of a Covid-19 patient, speaking his last words, after his oxygen supply was allegedly cut off, has surfaced on social media. The patient reportedly died after indicating that the oxygen supply to him was cut off despite his requests.

The video has a 35-year-old Covid-19 patient bidding good-bye to his family, from a government hospital bed in Hyderabad. The patient Ravi Kumar can be seen speaking out against the negligence of of the medical staff in providing ventilator support to him when he needed it the most.

The video has led to social media outrage as it attracted public attention towards plight of patients in government hospitals

"I am not able to breathe, I pleaded but they did not continue oxygen for the last three hours. I am not able to breathe anymore daddy, it's like my heart has stopped, Bye daddy. Bye to all, daddy," these were apparently the final words of the man, who spoke in his local dialect, and shared on social media.

Several reports have claimed that the man had been admitted to government Chest hospital, after several private hospitals refused to admit him. His ventilator support was allegedly taken off in the hospital, after which he recorded the video message.

The victim’s family shared the video message for the public to know of the negligence.

Reports have it that Ravi’s covid-19 report, which testes positive, was given to family a day after his death, when 30 of his family members performed the final rites, thus making all of them vulnerable to the virus. Ravi’s father has alleged that the test was done on June 24 and Ravi died on June 26, while the report was given to them on June 27.

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