Among the debate of prohibiting sex determination tests to maintain gender ratio in India, a new opinion to make sex determination compulsory is emerging.
Bearing testimony to this, of around 3,000 doctors, who participated in a poll conducted by Curofy- a health start-up, over 37 per cent said sex determination should be made compulsory.
Interestingly, a large part of all the radiologists who participated, 77.4 per cent, said sex determination should be made compulsory.
“In India declining sex ratio is more of a social problem than a medical one. Only stricter rules against the couples going for prenatal sex selection can solve this problem,” said Dr Nitin Ghonge, Senior Consultant, Radiology, Apollo hospital Delhi.
The government introduced the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, in 1994 which made prenatal sex determination of foetus illegal as it was leading to female foeticide.
The Act further states that every scan should be registered with the government by filling up a 4-page form F. This form is then triplicated and signed by both doctor and patient before the scan takes place.
“Radiologists are not against PCPNDT Act. We want female foeticide to stop too. However, it is radiologists who get prosecuted and not the people who get it done,” said Dr Vivek Sharma, Senior consultant, Radiologist, Medanta hospital.
“The parents who only want male child are equally liable for the decreasing sex ratio. If the government takes responsibility and registers all pregnancies and follows them to term, it would help in maintaining the sex ratio,” he said.
Doctors have proposed that a pregnant woman would have to get a compulsory ultrasound done and get the gender of her foetus registered. From the point of identifying the gender to birth of the child, the government would keep a check on the mother — giving her proper nutrients and ensuring a safe birth. This would let the government keep an eye on gender ratio and document it. Which would in turn discourage sex selective abortions for the fear of prosecution.
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