A recent order from the Haryana health department to register all pregnant women during the second trimester has raised concerns about violations of women’s privacy and potential conflict with current laws on ending pregnancy. It can also have unexpected consequences, such as driving women to seek unsafe abortions outside the formal health care system.
The Director-General (DGHS) two-week order aims to achieve 100% registration for pregnant women, with a significant improvement from the current registration rate of 50-80% in various regions. The order requires that the ultrasound center must register a pregnant woman before conducting a checkup, and non-compliance will result in notification.
To register for the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, women must provide personal details including their name, Aadhaar card number, husband’s name, address and caste. The registration is designed to enable RMNCH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health) programs to better monitor and report, allowing women to qualify for benefits under various programs.
The Indian Medical Association of Haryana (IMA) praised the program to ensure optimal prenatal services as a “great initiative” to reduce pregnancy losses in the first 12 weeks and to combat female killings, but also wrote a two-page letter and wrote a two-page letter to the DGHS, pointing out that the order is contradictory to the existing termination of pregnancy (MTP) (MTP). It noted that the bill established a woman’s reproductive rights as long as she is not a minor and therefore does not require the permission of her husband or legal guardian to undergo an abortion.
Confidentiality issues
Several experts also criticized the order, indicating that it was “hurriedly issued” and “no consideration of its meaning and implementation.” Former Haryana IMA president Ajay Mahajan expressed concern about the order that violates the spirit of the MTP Act, which prohibits the disclosure of the names and other details of women who have terminated their pregnancy.
He said that under the sole authority of the local Assisted Nurse Midwife (ANMS), pregnant women were registered on the RCH portal, which could undermine the confidentiality of the patient. “Let the local ANM know that unnecessary pregnancy may cause the woman to leak identities nearby. This may prevent unmarried pregnant women, as well as those seeking miscarriage, from being registered.”
Dr. Mahajan said these women could be forced to seek unsafe and illegal abortions, causing them to consult unqualified practitioners, posing a serious risk to their health and life. “Since the order is primarily intended to curb female murders, it can be modified to exempt pregnant women from registration within the first 14 weeks, as gender determination is not possible during this period. The government can also self-register or register through doctors in private and government hospitals,” he said.
“Waid allowed”
Dr. Ritu Jain, an infertility expert who practices in Gurugram, also agreed, pointing out that mandatory registration will allow women and their ease of tracking women’s records across the country. “There may be a confidential issue for women who are willing to keep their pregnancy privately. Even if the details are not shared with anyone, these women may seek care from quacks who are concerned about their identity. We are awaiting further details about the order, but the government should consider exempting certain categories of women to address privacy issues,” she said.
Under the MTP Act, gynecologist Jyoti Yadav advocates the privacy of pregnant women. She said the law allows termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks, so the government should exempt registration during this period.
She stressed the need for the government to regulate the ease of use of MTP kits in chemist stores to curb miscarriages based on gender determination. She noted that wealthy families are willing to go abroad for sexually determined tests and then terminate their pregnancy with ready-to-use drugs. She stressed that this practice must be stopped to increase the gender ratio in the state.
Amit Mishra, a criminal attorney at the Supreme Court, also emphasized the importance of protecting the privacy of pregnant women and was amended by Section 5A of the MTP Act for 2021. This section ensures confidentiality by prohibiting registered doctors from revealing the names and details of women who terminate pregnancy, except those authorized to authorize. Mr. Mishra advocates granting all pregnant women the right to apply for RHC ID, which will safeguard their time and privacy.
In Delhi, doctors can do an ultrasound scan immediately by filling out Form F to ensure confidentiality between government officials and the prenatal diagnosis centre without the right to obtain a third party. He acknowledged the good intentions of the order but expressed concerns about the issues of implementation.
“Promote health”
Speech Hindu By phone, DGHS Manish Bansal clarified that the sole goal of the order is to ensure registration of all pregnant women in the second trimester to monitor their health, and stressed that there is no conflict with the MTP bill. He said pregnancy is a separate issue.
Looking for support from the Medical Brotherhood, the official said it aims to promote the health of pregnant women and children, prevent illegal abortions by monitoring pregnancy and addressing the skewed gender ratio. He dismissed concerns about privacy violations, called it “basically unfounded” and ensured that all information would be firmly stored in government systems.
Haryana’s gender ratio dropped at birth, down to 910 in 2024, the lowest point in eight years. The state reached a significant milestone in 2016, when the gender ratio exceeded the 900 mark for the first time in two decades, reaching 914. Prior to the recent decline, 2019 reached 923 peaks.
publishing – March 28, 2025 01:15 AM IST
