Uttarakhand health department has failed to save the female even in wombs. As per the national family health survey report, 24 per cent sex ratio has declined in last five years. Ironically, several steps were taken but sex ratio is declining rapidly.
Under Pre conception-pre natal diagnostic Technique (PC-PNDT) Act health department is running Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign and organising workshop but despite all this sex ratio is declining. The authorities have also made ultrasound centres to display notice board regarding the crime of female foeticide and the penalties for the parents, doctors and others found to be guilty of involvement in female foeticide.
They have been counseling the expectant mothers and their family to prevent female foeticide as well. Despite all this health department has failed to bridge a gap between the son and daughter in society which is why people are commiting female foeticide with the connivance of doctors. It has declined to 24 per cent in last five years.
AS per the NHFS-3 in Uttarakhand 912 daughters are reported against 1000 male babies but NHFS-4 says it has come to 888 against per 1,000 male child. Interestingly in rural areas its ratio has increased but in urban areas ratio has increased but less than rural area. If we go by the last 10 years data it is 19 per cent but in five years it is 24 per cent. It means as health department has intensified awareness campaign and sex ratio has increased. As per the social experts there is need to intensify the campaign and identify the pregnant women and follow her seriously. By adopting this we can put a check on declining sex ratio otherwise coming days Uttarakhand situation would be more or less equal to Punjab and Haryana where sex ratio is alarming.
It would be pertinent to mention here that to publicise the campaign and motivate the people to bridge existing mental gap between son and daughter, health department has appointed brand ambassador but seldom they have participated in public awareness campaign. Even health department does not have data about their visit and participation in department’s campaign. It is alarming that as campaign intensified and sex ratio is continued to decline then what is the use to organise such campaign. It has raised question mark that either department does not organise campaign in right place or they have been organsing such campaign for their sake in place of public consumption. What is the reason only health department can tell the real picture.