International Desk – The name of Dr Nisha Verma, an Indian-origin doctor in the United States, has been trending online after a heated exchange during a US Senate hearing on the safety of abortion pills.
Dr Verma appeared as a Democratic witness before the HELP (Health, Education, Labour, Pension) Committee. During the hearing, Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked her a direct question: Can men get pregnant?
Instead of giving a yes or no answer, Dr Verma said the question was politically charged and she was not comfortable with where it was going. She also questioned the purpose of the question. This led to a short argument between the two, with Hawley saying he only wanted to confirm a basic biological fact.
After this exchange, Dr Verma’s name began circulating widely on social media.
Who Is Dr Nisha Verma?
Dr Nisha Verma was born in North Carolina to an Indian immigrant family. She studied medicine at the University of North Carolina and is a certified obstetrician and gynaecologist.
She has also studied Biology, Anthropology, and Public Health. At present, she works as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine and provides medical care in Georgia and Maryland.
Dr Verma is a reproductive health adviser and works closely with Physicians for Reproductive Health. She has been active in spreading awareness about abortion rights and the impact of abortion restrictions.
She has testified before the US Congress about the harm caused by abortion bans and is currently leading a research project on how Georgia’s six-week abortion ban affects women with high-risk pregnancies.
She also travels across the US to train doctors on how to talk to patients about abortion using medical evidence. She has also worked with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) to support doctors and hospitals.
The Senate hearing exchange has now brought her into the public spotlight.
