India, March 5 -- The Orissa High Court ordered the state government to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) within six months. The directive followed a petition seeking an MTP for a 13-year-old tribal girl, a sickle cell anaemia and epilepsy patient, who became pregnant after repeated rapes in August 2024, regarding which the court had recently passed an order.

Justice SK Panigrahi, who delivered the verdict, noted that medical decisions should not be stalled by procedural hurdles. He also expressed concerns over delays in abortion access, particularly for rape survivors, due to healthcare providers' fears of legal repercussions.

Case Background: A 13-Year-Old's Ordeal The 13-year-old t...