Doctor deciding authority to terminate 25-week pregnancy of teen rape victim: Karnataka HC
Bengaluru(PTI): The Karnataka High Court has allowed the termination of a 25-week pregnancy of a 13-year-old rape victim, subject to the opinion of doctors at a government hospital here.
It said, the doctor will be the deciding authority after examining the victim and assessing if such a procedure will endanger her life.
"The procedure is subject to further examination of the doctor who has to conduct such a procedure and if in the opinion of the doctor, such a procedure would cause harm or injury to the life of the petitioner, the doctor shall be the final deciding authority as to whether to go ahead or not with such a procedure," the HC said in a recent order.
The victim and her family members will be transported from her home to the hospital and back by the local police, the HC said.
The cost of the procedure will be borne by the government and if the procedure is carried out, the foetus will be preserved for future DNA testing in the case, Justice M Nagaprasanna has directed hospital authorities.
The tissue sample will be sent by the hospital to the Central Forensic Testing Laboratory in Bengaluru or Hyderabad for preservation, the HC said.
The procedure will have to be carried out as per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 1971, the HC said citing an earlier HC judgment in a similar case.
The victim had approached the HC with a petition through her mother. The victim was raped in May 2022.
Any future medical expenses of the victim will also be borne by the government. "In the event of any follow-up treatment being required and as advised by the treating doctor, the state government shall arrange for such transport at such times as advised and/or as directed by the doctor, the same being carried out at the cost of the state government," the HC said.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
