Move aimed to prevent misuse of ultrasound machines for detecting gender, female foeticide
The state government will lay down guidelines for the scientific disposal of old and non-functional sonography machines and prevent their misuse for gender determination and female foeticide.
"This was discussed in the recent meeting of the state supervisory board constituted to oversee the implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT). Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the scrapping of obsolete sonography machines have been formulated by a committee," a senior official from the state public health department told DNA.
The official added that a government resolution, laying down procedures to be followed, would be issued soon, clearing the decks for these ultrasound machines to be scrapped scientifically.
Another official noted that while these machines, which had been discarded or were not in use, were occupying space, there was a risk of them being misused for gender determination. The guidelines will ensure scientific disposal.
"The procedure was approved... Each district will have a committee of officials, including those from the health department, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and stakeholders to oversee how the machines should be broken down and sold as e-waste. This will ensure that the parts from these non-functional machines are not re-assembled for misuse," said a board member.
Maharashtra has around 7,700 sonography centres with an estimated 11,000 machines.
The PCPNDT Act prevents misuse of pre-natal sex determination techniques and female foeticide, which arises due to regressive social practices like dowry and preference for a son. A radiologist said this would help the authorities ensure that the machines are destroyed and not misused.
Sex ratio improved in 2017, compared to last two years
According to Census reports, Maharashtra's general sex ratio declined from 934 in 1991 to 922 in 2001, but marginally rose to 929 in 2011. In contrast, India's sex ratio increased from 927 in 1991 to 933 in 2011 and 940 in 2011. The Child Sex Ratio (CSR) (ratio of girls to boys between zero to six) fell from 946 in 1991 to 913 in 2001 and 894 in 2011, as against India's 946 in 1991, 927 in 2001 and 919 in 2011.
The state government's birth registration figures reveal that more girls were born in 2017 compared to the two previous years. In 2016, the sex ratio at birth for Maharashtra was 904 girls born per 1,000 boys, which improved to a healthier 913 for newborns in 2017. This is the highest in three years--the figure for 2015 was 907, down from 914 in 2014. In 2013, this sex ratio based on registered births was just 900.
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