In a startling revelation, 3,429 girls, aged below 18, from Dharmapuri district had delivered babies in the government hospital over the last three years. This was followed by Karur (1,057), Vellore (921), Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital (905) and Sivaganga (439).
Sharing the information obtained through the Right To Information (RTI) Act, activist Veronica Anand Raj from Madurai said it showed the functioning of the Social Welfare Department in poor light.
The information obtained between 2021 and 2023 (July) from 17 GHs across the State, 8,742 deliveries were reported by patients aged below 18.
Though the State government had platforms such as Childline, District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee, etc., and the helpline 1098, the data showed that there was lack of coordination between the departments (Social Welfare, Police and Health and Family Welfare) and within NGOs.
Also, the enforcement agencies had not registered cases under the POCSO Act on such deliveries and arrested the accused. Either the victims were unaware of the crime or the enforcement authorities arranged “compromise” between the parties, Ms. Veronica said.
The NGOs, which were entrusted with the task of educating and creating awareness among schoolgirls, too had not done their job. As a result, the teenagers, who had delivered babies, were undergoing severe stress and trauma now due to social stigma.
The government should step in and stop the rising number of such deliveries and deal with an iron hand against the law violators. The All Woman Police Station (AWPS) should be given a major role in controlling the menace and only when the offenders were jailed, the victims could be saved.
In southern districts
The RTI activist, who had recently travelled across many southern districts including Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Theni, said that the PHCs, taluk hospitals and even private hospitals had conducted deliveries of minor girls.
The data obtained from Madurai and Tirunelveli district PHCs alone showed that between 2021 and 2023 (July), there were 1,958 deliveries by teenaged girls. While the PHCs in Ramanathapuram district claimed that there were only 11 deliveries in their district during the above period, it was much lower in Virudhunagar and Thanjavur districts PHCs, she added.
The role of private NGOs and their volunteers appeared to be a key factor in containing the crime. “Only a concerted effort and systematic review by agencies can prevent the crime and protect the victims”, Ms Veronica said and urged Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to order a thorough audit over the calls received in toll-free numbers over the last 10 years and also suggested to intensify the campaign about the 1098 number among the girl children and parents.
The State government should also engage counsellors to interact with the girls who had delivered babies and find alternatives so that they were able to continue with their education. A high-level committee should review the calls received and the complaints received from parents/victims in the police stations, she added.
The special courts should also be provided with all documents swiftly with exhibits and evidences so that the conviction rate would rise, which would ultimately reduce the crime rate, Ms Veronica said.
