Haryana to Assign Unique Pregnancy IDs to Curb Illegal Abortions & Improve Maternal Healthcare

The move aims to improve digital health tracking and address the skewed sex ratio at birth.

In a significant step toward curbing illegal abortions and strengthening maternal health monitoring, the Haryana government has announced that every pregnant woman in the state will be assigned a unique identification number, which will be digitally linked to her health record.

This initiative was approved during the weekly meeting of the State Task Force, chaired by Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, in Chandigarh.

Unique Pregnancy ID Linked to Digital Records

As per the new policy, every pregnant woman will need to register within the first trimester—preferably before 10 weeks of gestation—with either the local auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) or at a government health facility. 

Upon registration, the woman's data will be recorded on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, which will generate a unique pregnancy ID. 

This digital record will include medical and personal details, such as the woman's Aadhaar number, address, and stage of pregnancy, and will be accessible throughout her prenatal care journey.

Officials say this centralized digital system will allow real-time tracking of pregnancies and help detect irregularities, particularly in regions with a history of gender-biased sex selection.

Enforcing Compliance & Reducing Gender Discrimination

All registered ultrasound centers across the state will be mandated to verify the unique pregnancy ID before conducting any scan to prevent misuse. This verification process is designed to deter illegal abortions and ensure transparency. 

The IDs will also serve as a gateway for accessing government schemes and maternal healthcare benefits, helping ensure that pregnant women receive necessary services.

"Unique IDs will enable the system to monitor pregnancies in real-time and identify any irregularities, especially in areas prone to gender-biased sex selection," said Sudhir Rajpal.

The implementation roadmap for integrating the system into private maternity and healthcare centers is still under discussion and will be finalized soon.

Ongoing Crackdowns & Regulatory Measures

The move comes amid a broader effort by the Haryana government to reverse the declining sex ratio at birth (SRB). In 2023, 13 out of 22 districts in the state saw a dip in SRB, pushing the average down to 910 girls per 1,000 boys—the lowest since 2016.

To strengthen enforcement, authorities have already sealed four nursing homes in Palwal, where unqualified practitioners were allegedly performing illegal abortions. FIRs were filed, and arrests were made following raids.

Additionally, the state has reduced the number of authorized wholesalers for abortion kits from 32 to five, aiming to tighten the supply chain and reduce the misuse of medical abortion pills.

Earlier in April, the state government revoked registrations of 300 abortion centers for failing to submit mandatory weekly data and not disclosing valid reasons for pregnancy terminations. Disciplinary actions were initiated against over a dozen health officials for negligence.

Haryana has long struggled with a skewed sex ratio, often attributed to female foeticide and societal preference for male children. The 2011 Census recorded Haryana's SRB at 834, the lowest in India. 

While there was a significant improvement to 923 in 2019, recent years have seen a decline again, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government has now instructed all districts to register every pregnancy and investigate terminations beyond 12 weeks, especially when the couple already has one or more daughters.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News