Annamayya DMHO warns against gender determination tests
Annamayya District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Ushasri warned against the illegal practice of gender determination tests, terming it a 'highly punishable offence'. She said that those found to be violating the law by conducting, facilitating, or promoting the prohibited tests, would be prosecuted.
The DMHO was speaking at the district advisory committee meeting, here on Wenesday. Highlighting the provisions of the PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act, she called for the urgent need to implement the Act strictly, so that the girl child ratio across Annamayya district could be improved.
'All the departments should extend full cooperation for the effective implementation of the Act. Private clinics and scanning centres violating the norms should be dealt with sternly, including their closure,' Dr. Ushasri said.
Senior medical officers, who also took part in the meeting, highlighted the relevance of holding a series of public awareness campaigns about the PCPNDT Act and initiatives connected to it, such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and Save the Girl Child.
The speakers also called on Medical, Paramedical personnel, and NGOs to step up sensitisation programmes across the district. Meanwhile, the DMHO said that decoy operations would be conducted to detect the centres engaging in illegal gender determination tests.
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