Accusing the PNDT authorities of misusing the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act to harass the ultrasound centre owners, Haryana Ultrasound Owners’ Association (HUOA) has demanded withdrawal of police cases registered against doctors on charges of minor deficiency in Form-F meant for recording detail information about the expectant mothers.
The association has also threatened to seal all ultrasound machines across the State on its own to register its protest if firm action is not taken within next two weeks in this regard. HUOA chief, Dr Ishwar Yadav while interacting with media-persons said “Criminal misuse of the PNDT act is deliberately being committed by the authorities concerned to harass and prosecute innocent ultrasound centres in the name of checking/ inspection.”
He maintained that over 150 cases had been booked under the PNDT Act against doctors in the State merely on the basis of smallest mistakes in the Form-F while the authorities were persistently failing to nab those centres which carry out sex determination tests in the State. “Only those doctors are being prosecuted who are helping the law by filling form-F while main culprits involved in sex determination are away from clutches of the authorities as they never fill Form-F while conducting sex determination,” said Dr Ishwar.
He maintained all ultrasound centres used to submit detail information about pregnant women to district health authorities every month but it did not bother to track these women to check female foeticide despite having ANM, ASHA workers and other supportive staff for the purpose. That’s why, gender ratio was not being improved as per expectation, he added.
“There is an urgent need to make vital amendment in the PNDT act so as to prevent the authorities from harassing the innocent doctors who are bringing the pregnant women on record by keeping all sorts of record that mandatory to carryout ultrasound test,” he said.