Mumbai: After the Sangli abortion racket came to fore last month, a Nashik doctor Varsha Lene is under the scanner of the state Directorate of Health Services (DHS) for her alleged involvement in an illegal abortion.
The five-member team set up by the DHS to probe the alleged medical termination of pregnancy performed at the Nashik civil hospital has concluded that the abortion could have been avoided. The incident came to light after a female foetus was found last week in Nashik city. Acting on a tip-off, the authorities had conducted a raid on Nashik civil hospital.
While talking to The Asian Age, District civil surgeon of Nashik Dr Suresh Jagdale, said, “They seized all the documents related to the case. The case papers of the patient were allegedly tampered. We informed deputy director of Nashik health department Dr Archana Ghodke.”
“There was no need for an abortion. How come the abortion was performed in the 24th week of pregnancy? All this looks suspicious,” he said.
After getting the nod from DHS, a state-level committee was formed to investigate the matter. A detailed inquiry was conducted by the team comprising of two gynaecologists from other districts, a civil surgeon from Dhule, a radiologist and the deputy director of health.
“The probe team has strongly recommended to DHS that stringent action must be taken against Dr Lene, under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act,” Dr.Jagdale said.
The patient hailing from Nashik district is also questioned since she has undergone illegal abortion surgery in the 24th week of her pregnancy.
The patient was admitted to the hospital on March 21, and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) was carried out on the next day. The probe team during the course of investigation found that the patient was released few hours after the operation was conducted.
Last month, 19 foetuses were found buried near homoeopath doctor Babsaheb Khidrapure’s hospital in Mhaisal village in Sangli.
