Advisory on Gujarat model of delivery kicks up row
- At a time when obstetricians are fighting to bring down the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal mortality in India, a recent advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry to States to adopt the Gujarat model of “non-interventional approach during the final stages of labour” as the best obstetric practice has kicked up a storm.
- Obstetricians say the advisory runs contrary to WHO recommendations and the best of proven international advisories and this can undo all their efforts to reduce PPH and prevent mothers bleeding to death.
- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) leadership demands that the Centre leave clinical decision making to doctors and that the advisory be withdrawn as it sends out contradictory messages to nurses and birthing assistants.
Supreme Court to hear pleas against citizenship law today
- A three judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde is scheduled to hear 59 petitions challenging the validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Wednesday.
- The petitions have argued that the law welcomes “ille- gal migrants” into India se- lectively on the basis of their religion and pointedly ex- clude Muslims. It has an “un- holy nexus” with the Nation- al Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise and is against the principles of secularism and the right to equality and dig- nity of life enshrined in the Basic Structure of the Con- stitution, a petition said.