A HIV-positive rape victim abandoned by her family delivered a healthy baby girl at a government hospital in Patna on the weekend after the court refused to grant her permission for abortion, leaving her in a peculiar situation.
The 35-year-old victim is currently at the mercy of an NGO, which is taking care of her.
“Both mother and her baby are safe and healthy. We are taking their full care as per the court’s directive. A team of health experts are keeping a close watch on their situation,” Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences’ (IGIMS) superintendent, Dr Manish Mandal, said.
The hapless woman gave birth to the baby on Friday against her wishes but is now forced to take care of her baby as she has no option. The doctors had to operate on her for safe delivery.
The woman, a resident of Patna, had been residing on the streets of the state capital, surviving on meagre alms given by passers-by, when she became pregnant after being raped. She was abandoned by her husband some 12 years back after a family dispute.
A local NGO came to know about her condition and took her to its rehabilitation centre. During her health check-up, she was found to be both pregnant and having contracted HIV positive. She was rescued on January 25 this year.
The NGO’s officials took her to the state-run Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) after she said she doesn’t want to deliver the baby. However, the doctors refused to abort the foetus saying it could be risky for her life as she was already 20 weeks’ pregnant.
Subsequently, the NGO sought the intervention of the Patna High Court in the matter. Taking the matter seriously, the court asked the IGIMS authorities to constitute a medical board and give a report soon. Based on the medical report which said abortion could be risky given her advanced stage of pregnancy, the court refused to grant her permission for abortion.
The NGO then moved the Supreme Court, taking up her case and the top court also refused to grant the permission acting on advice by the medical board of the Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which suggested it would be risky for both the woman and the baby as she was 26 weeks’ pregnant then. The order came on May 10 this year.
The bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A.M. Khanwilkar, however, directed the state government to provide all medical facilities at Patna’s IGIMS as per the treatment chart which would be given to her by the doctors of AIIMS in Delhi. Finally, she gave birth to her baby on Friday. (Gulfnews)