Legal and regulatory measures should be pursued vigorously to contain the heinous crime of female foeticide in the country till sociological changes result in its eradication, said Jignesh Thakker, president of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA).
Addressing a seminar on the second day of their 68th annual national conference here, he said while the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, was a good effort on the part of the government to bring down the rate of female foeticides, there were a lot of glitches that made the rules ineffective.
In 2003, the ultrasound sonography, which has innumerable diagnostic applications, was also brought within the ambit of the Act considering its potential in sex determination. However, there was no checking of illegal scan centres across the country or of unskilled persons practicing in the field. It had given rise to a situation in which 75 per cent of the scanning centres in the country were functioning without registered radiologists, said Dr. Thakker.
He said the government should take effective steps to ensure that ultrasound technology was secure in the hands of registered radiologists. Dr. Thakker also explained the basic requirements and procedures to be followed by radiologists under PCPNDT Act. The second day of the conference began with the presentation of the IRIA award papers. Sessions on foetal imaging, journalism and radiology, neuro-radiology, emergency radiology, onco-radiology and conventional radiology were held. Workshops were also held on ultrasound sonography and breast imaging.
