Interviewtimes 
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: Shalini Pandit, Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, stated that the State Government must refer MTP cases of pregnant women in accordance with the provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 (34 of 1971) had established a Medical Board for the State at SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack, to decide whether or not to allow a woman to end her pregnancy after 24 weeks of gestation, assuming that the procedure would be safe for her at that gestational age.
The MTP cases from all over the state needed to be sent to the Board so that it could make a decision quickly. For these cases, which were referred from places far from Cuttack, it was difficult and time-consuming to approach the Medical Board at Cuttack for a pregnancy termination and to obtain prompt assistance or services from the Board at SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack. As a result, it was felt that multiple Medical Boards were needed for this purpose.
The State Government has decided to establish multiple Medical Boards at 11 additional government medical colleges and PG institutes in order to facilitate MTP for pregnant women who are more than 24 weeks pregnant. These institutions include MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla, FM Medical College and Hospital in Balasore, PRM Medical College and Hospital in Mayurbhanj, BB Medical College and Hospital in Bolangir, SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput, Sh Sundargarh Government Medical College and Hospital In addition to the one that is currently in place at SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack, Medical College & Hospital, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, and PG Institute of Medical Education & Research, Bhubaneswar, in order to utilize the Medical Board’s services promptly.
