Representative image of a hospital ward.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A private hospital in Bengaluru Rural district has been booked for carrying out 74 abortions without permission and neglecting to maintain proper records.
The case against Asare Hospital in Nelamangala was filed on February 20, but came to public attention on Wednesday.
"Since 2021, the hospital, without obtaining permission under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, has conducted 74 abortions,” the FIR noted.
A complaint lodged by District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr SR Manjunath highlighted discrepancies during an inspection of the hospital on January 26. "The hospital also failed to maintain an MTP Admission Register."
Manjunath said instead of documenting abortion details in the appropriate register, they were recorded in the Operation Theatre Register, breaching various sections of the MTP Act.
While the hospital was registered under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME), in 90% of the cases, ultrasound reports were also allegedly missing from the case sheets, the complainant claimed. Authorities also seized the Operation Theatre Register.
Hospital owner Ravikumar NR has been booked under Sections 312, 313, 315, and 316 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing miscarriage and other related offences.
"The owner is yet to be arrested," stated a senior officer, noting that investigators are actively gathering further evidence regarding the violations.