A doctor in Yusufguda, identified as Dr. Gandhi, found to be using a portable ultrasound scanner for sex determination of foetus in pregnant women, has opened the doors to starting a crackdown on such practices.
When Sujatha Scanning Centre in Krishnanagar was raided on Tuesday, authorities found the ubiquitous message boards developed by the government to declare prenatal sex determination illegal. Radiologist Dr. Gandhi was nonchalant about it, proclaiming he had done it in the past. He had turned his home into a clinic, told pregnant women what the law had explicitly banned while promoting awareness messages about the ills of prenatal sex determination. “We found awareness messages about prenatal sex determination at the clinic where the doctor was caught. The clinic in the doctor’s residence did not even have a name board,” said Additional District Medical and Health Officer Dr. I.A. Sarla.
The authorities found Dr. Gandhi used a portable ultrasound scanner, which did not mandate a licence, prompting them to declare the equipment’s use as illegal. The catch which authorities claim is the first in the city where a doctor was caught red-handed, has prompted renewed efforts to tackle prenatal sex determination, given the underlying concern; the decoy was referred to Dr. Gandhi’s centre by a gynaecologist who allegedly offered abortion services if the woman discovered the foetus was female. The scanning centre was seized and shut by authorities. Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act prohibits prenatal gender determination to prevent sex selection and abortion. Violations under the act can attract imprisonment and penalty.
On Friday, during a convergence meeting held by Hyderabad District Collector Yogitha Rana, it the matter came up. It was decided to strengthen the Central government’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme. which aims to tackle skewed sex ratio in the country.
District’s health authorities say they will keep a vigilant watch on and conduct check scanning centres. to weed out the practice. Hyderabad district administration is aware of the existence of just over 1,100 scanning centres but authorities have not discounted the possibility of more operating offering prenatal gender determination.
HC direction
The Hyderabad HC on Tuesday directed the City Commissioner of Police to entrust the investigation of the case, where 3 persons were arrested for conducting illegal abortion, to another police officer as the Saidabad police had failed to carry out the investigation properly. The High Court’s direction came during the hearing on a PIL. The High Court instructed the police to present a report on the action taken by Monday.
