TN hospital sealed after cases of illegal sex-selective abortions uncovered

Officials said that Dr Kavitha Chandrasekar, who was running Parvathy hospital in Vaniyambadi, performed abortions on women in their second trimester without court orders.

Health Crime

Based on a tip off from a Vellore district agency, a team of Health Department officials sealed Parvathy Hospital run by Dr Kavitha Chandrasekar on Malang Road in Vaniyambadi for performing illegal sex-selective abortions.

Speaking to TNM, Director of Medical and Rural Health Sciences Kamalakannan, says, “We got information that she was performing sex-selective abortions on pregnant women even in their second trimester without orders from the court. At least two such cases confirmed during the searches were sex-selective abortions.”

Kamalakannan further adds that information from bigger hospitals, where Dr Kavitha referred patients with complications, helped expose her. “She had referred a few of them to bigger medical institutions for abortions and in one case we found that the foetus was female. Had she performed the surgery on the mother, it would have been fatal. She does not have proper approval from District Family Welfare Authority, Vellore to conduct abortion or family welfare services,” he says.

The officials who inspected the premises found case sheets for abortions being done in second and third trimester without court permission. However, the hospital had no proper records of patients.

It has also come to light that Dr Kavitha performed an abortion on a pregnant minor woman as well. When TNM got in touch with Dr Kavitha, she denied knowledge of any inquiry or of performing sex-selective abortions on pregnant women.

“She will be sent notice and based on her reply we will initiate action upon her. Currently we have sealed the scanning equipment in the hospital,” adds Kamalakannan.

Dr Kavitha moved from Bengaluru to Vaniambadi to continue her mother’s practice following her demise a few years ago. Her husband is a sonologist who works along with her.