New Delhi: A group of 78 medical doctors, public health workers, academics and feminists have signed a statement expressing concern over women’s ability to access facilities that can provide for safe abortions amidst the suspension of non-emergency procedures as the country’s hospitals deal with COVID-19.The signatories, while appreciating the recent Delhi high court direction to ensure that no pregnant women and their families residing in coronavirus hotspots face difficulty in accessing treatment, have urged that the same access be extended to women seeking medical termination of pregnancies.Also read: Kashmir: In Labour, Woman From ‘Red Zone’ Turned Away From 4 HospitalsThey have also said that abortions cannot be considered non-emergency medical procedures.“It is completely understandable, and correct, that all non-emergency procedures be suspended at hospitals in these times of COVID-19. Thus, not only elective plastic surgery procedures, but surgeries such as that for inguinal hernia, or thyroid adenomas, have to been postponed. This is for two reasons: first, not to expose people to coronavirus in hospitals and second, to reduce the demand on health systems, breaking under the coronavirus pandemic.The situation with Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) is however unique, and is not be classified as a “non-emergency” procedure worthy of postponement.”A woman wanting an MTP is in an emergency situation, write the signatories. The time-frame for her to access a safe and legal abortion in the country is limited and thus, she cannot wait for the pandemic to abate.Also read: The New Pregnancy Termination Bill Still Ignores Women’s Agency CompletelyThe statement also draws attention to the illegal abortions that account for 12% of maternal deaths in the country. In addition to hunger deaths, tuberculosis and malaria, which are at risk of increasing – according to the signatories – denying abortions to women will further add to the toll.The statement cites the example of the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, which have made it possible for women to access safe abortion during what has otherwise been an escalating medical emergency.“COVID-19 cannot be used as an excuse to deny women’s rights to safe abortion, as the state of Texas has done in the USA,” the statement notes. It has since been reported by Reuters that Texas will allow abortions to resume following a legal battle over whether the Republican-governed state could enact a near-total ban on the procedure to preserve supplies of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.The full list of signatories to the letter is below:Sl No.NameAffiliation 1Dr.Mohan Rao Former professor, JNU2Laxmi Murthy Feminist journalist, Bangalore.3Dr. Imrana Qadeer Former professor, JNU4Urvashi Butalia Feminist publisher, Zubaan, New Delhi.5Prof. Nivedita Menon Professor, JNU6Prof. Ayesha Kidwai Professor, JNU7Prof. Priyamvada Gopal Professor, University of Cambridge8Dr.Vineeta Bal Former scientist, NII9AIDWA National Women’s Organisation10Renu Khanna Commonhealth, Baroda11Dr.Vandana Prasad Community paediatrician, New Delhi.12Dr.Rohini Kandhari Public health researcher, New Delhi13Dr.Priya Ranjan I.P.College, Delhi University14Dr.Aprajita Sarcar Assistant Professor , University of Ontario, Canada15Sunita VS BandewarHealth, Ethics and Law Institute, Pune16Prof.Ramila Bisht Professor, JNU17Dr.R.Srivats Political scientist, Hyderabad18Prof.Pam Rajput Women’s studies scholar, Chandigarh.19Dr Subha Shri Obstetrician and gynaecologist, Thiruvananthapuram20Shalini RudraResearcher, Warwick University, UK 21Dr. Raman KuttyFormer Director, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram22Deepika JoshiPublic Health Researcher, Chhattisgarh23Sarojini N.SAMA Resource Group for Women and Health, New Delhi.24Dr.Veena ShatrugnaFormer Deputy Director,National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.25Dr Mira Shiva Public Health Physician, New Delhi.26Dr. Charm ShakeelPublic Health Physician, Bihar27Dr. Suhas KolhekarNational Alliance of People’s Movements, Pune28Dr. Narendra GuptaPublic health physician, Prayas, Rajasthan 29Dr. Peehu PardeshiAssistant Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences , Mumbai.30Prof. Jayati GhoshProf. JNU31Dr. Anant PhadkePublic health researcher, CEHAT, Pune 32CommonHealth (Coalition for Reproductive Health and Safe Abortion)33Kalyani Menon SenFeminist Learning Partnerships34Dr. Sunita ReddyAssociate Professor, JNU 35SAHELI, New Delhi36Dr.Nachiket UdupaPublic Health Researcher37Dr. Y.K.SandhyaHealth Watch Forum, Uttar Pradesh 38National Alliance for Maternal Health and Human Rights (NAMHHR) 39S.Srinivasan Locost, Vadodara 40Dr. Saraswathy GanapathyCommunity Paediatrician, Bangalore 41Dr.Manisha Gupte MASUM, Pune42Ammu JosephFeminist journalist, Bangalore43Dr. Sunil KaulCommunity Health Physician, The Ant, Assam 44Prof. Mary E. JohnSenior Fellow,Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS), New Delhi45Prof. Ania LoombaUniversity of Philadelphia, USA.46Prof. Pratikasha BaxiProfessor, JNU47Prof. G.ArunimaProfessor, JNU48Amar JesaniIndependent Researcher and Teacher (Bioethics, Public Health)49Jennifer LiangPublic Health Researcher, The Ant, Assam50Dr. Nidhin JosephPublic Health Physician51Dr. Rajalakshmi RamPrakashHealth Researcher, Chennai.52Dr Shaweta AnandPublic Health Activist, New Delhi53Prof. Angelie Multani Professor, IIT New Delhi54Deepa VHealth Activist, New Delhi55Prof.Farida Abdulla KhanFormer Professor, Jamia Milia Islamia56Prof. Rama BaruProfessor, JNU57Prof. Ravinder KaurProfessor, IIT New Delhi58Prof.Rajni PalriwalaProfessor, Delhi University 59Pamela PhilipposeJournalist, New Delhi60Prof.Janaki Nair Professor, JNU 61Indu Chandrasekhar Publisher, Tulika Books, New Delhi62Prof. Chirashree Das GuptaProfessor, JNU 63Rajashri Dasgupta Feminist Journalist64Krishna Choudhary Public Health Scholar , JNU65Ravi DuggalIndependent Public Health Researcher and Activist, Mumbai66Dr. Sulakshana Nandi Public Health Researcher, Chhattisgarh67Radha Holla BharPublic Health Nutritionist 68Dr. Mala Khullar Co-editor, Asian Journal of Women’s Studies 69Prof. Patricia UberoiFormerly of Delhi University 70Prof. Uma ChakravartiFormerly of Delhi University 71Prof. Sundari Ravindran Former professor, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram72Jashodhara DasguptaPublic Health Researcher, New Delhi 73Prof. Devaki Jain Feminist Economist , New Delhi74All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) 75Kamayani Bali MahabalJan Swasthaya Abhiyan, Mumbai76Dr. P.M ArathiAssistant Professor, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.77Dr. Smitha S NairAssailant Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai78Amitabha SarkarFrench Institute of Pondicherry
