Who gives approval to places to carry out abortions?

The District Level Committee is a body that has the power to approve certain places as being fit for carrying out abortions. The Committee must consist of 3-5 members. One member must be a gynaecologist, surgeon or an anaesthetist, and others must be from the medical field, non-governmental organisations, and the Panchayati Raj of the District. At least one of these members must be a woman. The committee has a two-year tenure¹.

An application should be given to the Chief Medical Officer of the district. They have the power to verify information given in the application and conduct inspections (within two months of receipt of the application). Then, they will recommend the approval of the application to the committee, who can choose to approve or reject the same. In case of an approval, a certificate is issued, which must be displayed in the place mentioned in the application where abortions will be conducted².

1. Rule 3, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 2003.[↩]

2. Rule 5, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 2003.[↩]