In every hospital, records of the abortion should be maintained in the following ways1:
- Doctor’s Opinion: The doctors who perform abortions have a legal duty to record their opinions on why they are going to do or not do the abortion. If they are going ahead with the abortion, within three hours of conducting the abortion, they have to certify it by filling Form 1 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003.
- Consent Form : The consent form to go ahead with the abortion has to be filled by the pregnant woman who is undergoing the abortion. The consent form is given in Form C of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 2003.
Admission Registers: An admission register is maintained by the head of the hospital or the owner of the place approved for conducting abortion where the details of the women undergoing abortion are maintained. The Admission Register is a confidential document. These hospital records of abortions are routinely sent to the Chief Medical Officer of the State and the register is not kept open for any inspections keeping in mind the privacy of the woman.
- Regulations 4 and 5, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003.[↩]