logo
Sonography machine sealed in Petlad for alleged fetal sex determination

Sonography machine sealed in Petlad for alleged fetal sex determination

Time of India16-05-2025
Vadodara: A sonography machine at a private hospital in Petlad was sealed by health officials from Anand district for allegedly conducting illegal sex determination tests in violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act, 1994.
Ishita Hospital, operated by gynaecologist Dr J K Vaghela, is now facing punitive action under the act, which prohibits fetal sex determination and makes it illegal for medical practitioners to disclose the sex of a fetus to expectant parents.
Anand's chief district health officer (CDHO), Dr Piyush Patel, confirmed the development, stating that special teams of medical officers have been formed to conduct surprise inspections across the district to check for violations.
During one such surprise inspection, conducted by Dr Rajesh Patel, taluka health officer Dr K D Pathak, Petlad taluka health officer Gunvant Isvarvadia, and programme officer Vijay Vaghela, the hospital was allegedly found flouting the PC&PNDT Act.
"The sonography machine was sealed with immediate effect and all hospital records were seized to facilitate further legal action," said Dr Patel.
He further warned that such surprise checks will continue across Anand district, and strict action will be taken against any hospital or doctor found in violation of the Act.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Organ donation rate very low despite 18k transplants last year
Organ donation rate very low despite 18k transplants last year

Hindustan Times

time26 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Organ donation rate very low despite 18k transplants last year

India's current organ donation rate continues to be abysmal, at 0.81 per million, as compared to better faring countries such as Spain where the number stands around 52, according to people familiar with the matter. Organ donation rate very low despite 18k transplants last year The organ donation rate, which is the number of deceased donations per million population, is based on figures reported by Indian states and Union territories and compiled by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). 'It is still low when you compare with countries like Spain but the numbers are gradually picking up. Government is working to ensure there is adequate awareness towards deceased organ donation among masses, and it has started showing results,' said an official, requesting anonymity. While addressing the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day last month, Union health minister, JP Nadda, said, 'Despite the urgent need there remains a significant gap between the number of patients waiting for transplants and the number of available donors. This gap is not due to lack of willingness but often due to lack of awareness and hesitation rooted in the myths and misconceptions.' 'India achieved a remarkable milestone of performing over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024, the highest ever recorded in a single year, a significant leap from fewer than 5,000 transplants in 2013,' he added. As per government data released last month, 63,000 individuals currently need kidney transplants, and around 22,000 liver transplants in India, while the donation rate remains under 1% relative to population. 'Health being a state subject, it is the responsibility of the States/UTs to ensure that registered hospitals comply with the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994. THOTA 1994 provides for appointment of State Appropriate Authority (SAA) by the respective State Governments, for the purposes of this Act. SAA is empowered under the Act to investigate any complaint of breach of any of the provisions of this Act or any of the rules made thereunder and take appropriate action,' said the health ministry in a recent written reply in Parliament. The Government works closely with the state governments, to ensure implementation of the provisions of THOTA 1994. Among the steps taken by the government to curb illegal organ transplants include setting up of National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)— a national apex level organiwation for establishing a network for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and to maintain a national registry for surveillance of organ donation and transplantation in the country. Key priorities of NOTTO, which now has over 330,000 registered donors, are upgrading infrastructure, improving coordination and service delivery, and building skilled manpower through ongoing training. 'NOTTO along with Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs), State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) organise awareness programs across the country to disseminate information about provisions of THOTA 1994, so that people are cognizant towards the government recognized processes of organ donation permitted by the law, along with the illegality and repercussions associated with indulgence in organ trafficking, in order to make it easy for them to comply with the provisions of law,' read the reply. All states need to constitute an advisory committee as per provisions of the THOTA 1994 to aid and advise the appropriate authority in discharging its functions of controlling illegal organ transplant activities. 'India has made significant progress in the field of organ and tissue transplantation, with increasing public awareness and improved infrastructure. However, the demand for organs far exceeds the availability, and thousands of patients continue to wait for life-saving transplants. The Government, through NOTTO, remains committed to strengthening the organ donation ecosystem in the country,' said the health ministry in an earlier statement.

Bihar prohibition: Four-fold jump in drug cases since 2016 alcohol ban
Bihar prohibition: Four-fold jump in drug cases since 2016 alcohol ban

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

Bihar prohibition: Four-fold jump in drug cases since 2016 alcohol ban

By Chandra Verma Over the last eight years, Bihar has recorded a nearly four-fold rise in drug-related cases – from 518 cases in 2016 to 2,411 in 2024 — a jump, enforcement authorities and doctors say, that coincides with the state's ban on alcohol in 2016. According to data shared by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police, the number of those arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, too, went up in this period – from 496 in 2016 to 1,813 in 2024. As of May this year, 569 cases were registered under the NDPS Act and 577 persons have been arrested. The data also shows a significant jump in seizures of drugs such as charas, smack (heroin), brown sugar (adulterated heroin) and doda (opium husk), which, doctors say, are being used by addicts as substitutes for alcohol. Confirming a rise in substance abuse across the state, Manavjit Dhillon, Deputy Inspector General, Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Bihar Police, said, 'Since prohibition, we have seen an increase in the consumption of ganja in rural areas and smack in urban areas. Youngsters in urban areas are increasingly experimenting with synthetic narcotics such as meth, brown sugar and cough syrups (they contain codeine, an opioid).' The DIG said opium, coco leaf (used to make cocaine), manufactured drugs, etc., as defined under Section 2 of the NDPS Act are not classified as intoxicating drugs under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act that was notified on October 2, 2016. 'This means that all cases related to the recovery of these items will be registered under the NDPS Act and not the Prohibition Act,' he said. Doctors of at least two leading government hospitals in the state capital — the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) — confirmed a rise in the number of persons addicted to drugs, sleeping pills, painkillers and other synthetic substances over the past last six-seven years. At the Patna-based IGIMS, Dr Rajesh Kumar, the head of psychiatry, said, 'With the ban on alcohol, most addicts in Bihar have switched to items that are readily available and cheaper.' Doctors at PMCH and IGIMS confirmed treating at least 200 such patients every month over the last six-seven years. They said most of these patients are addicted to drugs such as heroin, brown sugar, cannabis, smack, doda, etc or inhalants (glue, whiteners, bonfix adhesives, etc). The EOU data on drugs reveals that the biggest jump in seizure has been in the case of doda (from 15 kg in 2016 to 5,235 kg in 2024), charas (from 88 kg in 2016 to 277 kg in 2024, a rise of over 200%), and smack (from 220 gm in 2016 to 7 kg in 2024). The EOU recorded a big jump in seizures of chemical drugs or syrups. In 2016, the EOU seized 29,861 bottles, 5,116 tablets and 4,945 injections against 1.17 lakh bottles, 90,150 tablets and 63,208 injections in 2024. While 126 persons were convicted in 84 NDPS cases in 2017, it rose to 474 persons in 349 such cases in 2024. As of June 2025, 284 persons have been convicted in 203 such cases. The writer is an intern at The Indian Express

323 PGI staff houses lie vacant, causing Rs 5.5 crore annual loss
323 PGI staff houses lie vacant, causing Rs 5.5 crore annual loss

Indian Express

time8 hours ago

  • Indian Express

323 PGI staff houses lie vacant, causing Rs 5.5 crore annual loss

As many as 323 houses meant for faculty and non-faculty staff of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Sectors 12 and 24 have been lying vacant for years, causing an annual financial loss of around Rs 5.5 crore, information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed. According to the RTI reply, the losses are on account of forgone licence fees and the payment of 20% house rent allowance (HRA) to staff who could have been accommodated in these quarters. Over the last five to six years, the non-allotment of vacant houses has cost PGI more than Rs 20 crore. Applicant Ashwani Kumar Munjal, an honorary member of the PGI Employees' Union (Non-Faculty), said many of these houses have remained unoccupied from 2017 to 2025, even as several employees wait for official accommodation. 'Staff have to rent homes in far-off areas at high rates. This puts a heavy financial burden on them and delays their arrival for duty due to traffic congestion, ultimately affecting patient services,' he said. The RTI reply also shows that many of these houses have been locked up for years, rendering them uninhabitable. While PGI suffers rental losses running into several lakh rupees annually, it continues to incur expenses on the upkeep and security of these properties. Residential accommodation at PGI is primarily meant for faculty, resident doctors, nurses, and other staff. However, due to various reasons — from long-pending repairs to unsuitable location or size — 323 houses remain unallotted. A recent 'fitness report' of the vacant quarters flagged severe issues, including wall cracks, leaking roofs, faulty sewage and plumbing systems, unsafe electrical wiring, and dilapidated doors and windows. These problems have delayed allotment and driven up annual maintenance costs. Meanwhile, demand for on-campus housing remains high, with new doctors and employees often forced to rent costly accommodation outside. Staff representatives say timely repair and maintenance could prevent further financial losses and ease the housing crunch. Proposals under consideration include earmarking a separate repair budget and launching large-scale renovations to bring the locked quarters back into use.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store