In a bid to implement Prenatal Sex Determination Test (PNDT) act effectively to improve gender ratio, the Rewari district health authorities have now directed its ultrasound centres to put up pictures of their doctors outside the centres, who are authorised for carrying out ultrasound examination.Apart from this, the authorities are also mulling installation of electronic chips in ultrasound machines of the centres so as to connect them with the main server of health department in order to check prenatal sex determination test.
As many as 64 ultrasound centres are registered in the district where over 100 doctors daily perform ultrasound examinations of patients.“The move is a step ahead in the direction of improving gender ratio by curbing female foeticide. The ultrasound centres have started putting up pictures of their doctors following the directives,” Dr Sarvajeet Thapar, Rewari Deputy CMO, told The Pioneer.
He maintained the health authorities had been leaving no stone unturned to minimise the alarming gap between male and female ratio in Rewari district which has been reeling under a skewed sex ratio with 797 girls against 1000 boys.“We have also learnt that such doctors from outside places are also performing ultrasound test in some hospitals and ultrasound centres here, who are even not registered with Rewari health authority while as per law, they can not do so without getting authorisation certificate from the authority,” said Thapar.
He maintained after putting up pictures of doctors concerned outside the centres, not only the health authorities but also the patients would easily be able to identify the doctors involved in ultrasound test.Sources said the patients usually fail to identify the doctors in many cases whenever they lodge complaint against the ultrasound centres in case any mistake surfaced in ultrasound test report.
Dr Thapar informed eight ultrasound centres in Rewari district were booked under the PNDT act in last year when they found violating the act during surprise checking. “Such checking drive still continues in the district to check female foeticide and misuse of the ultrasound machines in the hospitals/ ultrasound centres,” he added.