The State Advisory Committee meeting on Pre Conception & Pre Natal Diagnostics Technique (PC&PNDT) Act, held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FW) Secretary PK Mohapatra, made submission of ‘F’ form for ultrasound units mandatory and asked all the ultrasound clinics to submit form ‘F’ form through the software prepared by the H&FW Department every month.
The meeting revealed that only 152 out of 650 ultrasound clinics have submitted ‘F’ form through the software. Four State-level squads have been formed to conduct surprise visits and regular inspections in all ultrasound units and will report any violations to the appropriate authorities for action by August.
To check the declining child sex ratio in the State, particularly in eight districts having lowest child sex ratio like Nayagarh (855), Dhenkanal (877), Angul (899), Ganjam (908), Cuttack (914), Khurda (916), Kendrapada (926), Jajpur (926), the meeting decided to strictly implement various provisions of the Act to check the trend.
Besides, the meeting revealed that conducting community action for changing mindset towards preference for son is also being taken up in four focus districts of Angul, Cuttack, Khurda and Ganjam combined with strengthening PC&PNDT Act implementation with support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The meeting too decided to introduce topics on PC&PNDT Act and social issues around son preference in the State-level institutions like SIRD, SIHFW, Biju Patnaik State Police Academy, Gopabandhu Academy for Administration.