Following the raid by the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) District Advisory Committee on a city maternity home and the alleged confession by the doctor of foetal sex determination tests, the Bangalore District Urban Health Officer (DHO) on Friday sealed the hospital and lodged a complaint against the doctor.
Protests
DHO M. Thimmappa, along with committee members Vasundhara Bhupathi and Anil Kumar, and other officials visited the hospital again on Friday following protests by various women's organisations.
Women activists, led by former Minister Rani Satish, staged a demonstration in front of the Aruna Maternity Home and Clinical Laboratory on 1{+s}{+t} Main Road in Gayatrinagar on Friday, demanding the arrest of the doctor, P.T. Aruna Kumari.
The doctor is reported to have confessed on Thursday that she conducted more than 50 sex determination tests during her 30-year-career.
Local support
As on Thursday, local residents again came to the doctor's rescue on Friday and even tried to assault some of the women activists. They gheraoed the committee members, saying the hospital should not be sealed.
The police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
Dr. Thimmappa told The Hindu that legal action against the doctor would be initiated.
“We will examine whether she has a licence to run the ultrasound scanning unit. The premises has been sealed now and the matter will be taken up in the court,” the DHO said, adding that the court would decide the penalty.
Dr. Bhupathi and Mr. Kumar said there could be more such hospitals in the city illegally conducting such foetal tests, adding that the drive would continue.
