Expert Panel Flags Missing Pregnancy Follow Up Records in Yadgir District

A government appointed expert committee has raised serious concerns over the monitoring of pregnancies in Karnataka’s Yadgir district after finding that thousands of registered cases have no recorded final outcome. The findings have sparked fresh questions about the effectiveness of the local healthcare tracking system and whether all pregnancies are being properly monitored.

The panel examined records from the past five years and found that 53595 pregnancies had been registered in the district. Of these, 35424 resulted in childbirth, while 2055 were recorded as miscarriages. However, the report noted that the outcome of 16116 pregnancies could not be traced through official records, leaving a significant gap in follow up documentation.

The committee was formed after allegations related to female foeticide and weaknesses in pregnancy monitoring surfaced in the district. It conducted a five day inspection from April 6 to April 10 before submitting a detailed 74 page report to the Karnataka government. The findings have highlighted several areas where oversight and record keeping may require immediate attention.

According to the report, the absence of complete follow up records has raised concerns about how pregnancies are being tracked after registration. Investigators suggested that stronger monitoring mechanisms are needed to ensure every registered pregnancy is accounted for until its outcome is officially documented.

The committee also pointed to the possibility of illegal practices in some cases. It mentioned concerns about suspected sex determination tests being conducted after the twelfth week of pregnancy despite legal restrictions. The report further referred to allegations of pregnancy registration documents being destroyed and the possible misuse of abortion medication. These observations have been presented as concerns requiring further investigation rather than confirmed violations.

Another major issue highlighted in the report is the prevalence of early marriage in the district. According to the findings, around 33.2 percent of women were reportedly married before reaching the age of 18. The committee suggested that this could contribute to a higher number of teenage pregnancies and related health risks. It also noted that investigations into abortions involving unmarried women are often complicated because families are sometimes unwilling to share information.

District Health Officer Mahesh Biradar has rejected the allegations raised in the report. He stated that abortions recorded in the district were performed for legitimate medical reasons and emphasized that Yadgir’s abortion rate stands at 2.7 percent, which is lower than the state average of 4.6 percent.

The differing views presented by the expert committee and district health authorities have created uncertainty over the situation. The state government is now expected to review the report and determine whether additional inquiries or corrective measures are required to strengthen pregnancy monitoring and maternal healthcare services in the district.