Not one of the 40 clinics follow the rules prescribed in the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994, aimed at curbing female foeticide.
Widespread disregard of norms laid down by PCPNDT Act
If you thought Mumbai is free from the malice of female foeticide and sex discrimination, think again. A survey of 40 ultra-sound clinics in Chembur has thrown up a shocking revelation. Not one of the 40 clinics here follows the rules prescribed in the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act 1994 (PCPNDT Act), aimed at curbing female foeticide.
Laadli Alliance, a group of 10 NGOs that undertook the survey, has now sent the report to public health department, family welfare department and National PCPNDT Cell, of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), demanding strict action against the clinics. "Four teams, armed with authorisation letters from the BMC, surveyed 47 sonography clinics in M (West) Ward between July 18 and August 8 2007.
Seven of the clinics were non-operational, the remaining 40 were found to be flouting various rules of the PCPNDT Act. What's shocking is that many doctors claimed that they were not even aware of the Act," said Dr AL Sharada, programme director of Population First, an NGO working to promote awareness about population.
"Mumbai's sex ratio is 898 girls per 1000 boys. Sex discrimination and female foeticide are issues that Mumbai needs to tackle on a war footing," the trustee of Population First, Bobby Sista.
The PCPNDT Act states that it is mandatory for the clinics to maintain the documents and records including: a notice display in local language and English saying "Determination of the sex of the foetus is banned and illegal," qualification certificate of the doctor, registration certificate of the clinic, a copy of PCPNDT Act, referral letters from doctors, separate register listing pregnant patients undergoing ultrasound tests and a duly filled 'F' Form, and a signed statement from the patient and the doctor stating that no sex determination test has been conducted in the clinic.
When Anita Chandrashekhar, a Chembur resident who works with Stree Mukti Sanghatana, visited the clinics, she found fake 'F' Forms being used. "Action should be taken against the defaulting doctors. We also demand that all sonography clinics in the city be regularly monitored," said Pradnya Shinde, programme director, Laadli Alliance. Sources in National Control and Implementation Committee had raided 18 clinics in March 2007, revealed that stringent action would be taken against the defaulters.
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