Latest news with #PCPNDTAct
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Illegal MTPs: 5 civil surgeons, medics under scanner as health dept turns focus on staff
Chandigarh: After enhancing monitoring of the MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) centres and kit suppliers to curb illegal abortions and sex determination tests in the state, the Haryana health department has now turned the focus on its own officials to give impetus to its efforts. The health authorities have reportedly put 192 medicos, paramedics, and field staff on notice. They have also withdrawn the powers of five civil surgeons under the PC PNDT Act after assessing their performances. According to information, the committee monitoring the reverse tracking system of MTPs has so far encountered 790 such cases where govt or private medicos performed MTPs on women who already had one or two girl children and the pregnancy had crossed over 12 weeks. The health authorities furnished 824 such cases wherein the MTPs of expectant mothers were done between January and June. Officials informed that the 192 officials who had been served with the notices include senior medical officers (SMOs), medical officers (MOs), nurses, and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs). The ANMs have the responsibility of monitoring activities of expectant mothers, especially those already having one or two girl children. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Bedtime Drink Flattened Her Belly in Days Vitalgethealth Click Here Undo Referring to the action taken against the five civil surgeons, health officials informed that the districts where the charge and powers of civil surgeons under the PNDT Act had been withdrawn include Ambala, Bhiwani, Palwal, Sirsa, and Fatehabad. All these districts share interstate borders with Punjab, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh. Acting on the directions of the additional chief secretary, health, Sudhir Rajpal, who also heads the Special Task Force (STF) to improve the sex ratio at birth, the director general of health services assigned the powers vested in these civil surgeons under the PNDT Act to their counterparts in the neighbouring districts. It is learned that the action against the civil surgeons followed reports of declining or fluctuating sex ratio in these districts and other shortcomings detected by the STF between January and July. "So far as notices to health officials are concerned, we are waiting for their replies. We shall wait for the explanation of civil surgeons from these five districts as well before proceeding further," said Dr Virender Yadav, director health services, National Health Mission Haryana, and member of the STF. For the last four months, Haryana health authorities have intensified efforts to improve the sex ratio at birth, which reached 904 in July. Some of the steps taken by the health authorities include roping in transgenders to motivate the mothers of newborn girls, intensified action against the illegal sale of MTP kits, registration of FIRs against violators, sealing of ultrasound centres, and prosecution of certain IVF centres. MSID:: 123217945 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Special teams to inspect fertility centres across city
Hyderabad: In the wake of a fake surrogacy racket bust in the city, the health dept on Monday formed around 25 to 30 special teams of doctors. Starting Tuesday, these teams will visit fertility centres, both registered and unregistered, if any, across Hyderabad over the next fortnight to verify their registration. A senior official from the health dept said that, along with the registered centres, the teams will also check if any unregistered centres are operating in the city. "The teams will verify the registration documents, equipment validity, their HR status, pharmacy operations, and if there are any unregistered ultrasound machines violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. Apart from these, the teams will also visit autism, wellness, and other centres. If any of these are found unregistered or is found to be flouting the rules, they will be seized immediately and a case will be registered," officials said. According to official estimates, there are about 158 registered fertility centres in Hyderabad. This includes 27 assisted reproductive technology (ART) centres, 27 ART-level 1 centres, 72 ART-level 2 centres, and 32 surrogacy centres. "While there might be unregistered quack clinics, physiotherapy centres, and small labs, it is very rare that fertility centres will be unregistered. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo There might be some unregistered fertility centres running in the city, but we will get the exact picture only after a fortnight," the official added. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad In the Srushti fertility centre case, officials found that the clinic was also violating the PCPNDT Act, as an ultrasound scanning machine was found on the premises, raising suspicions of sex determination. "After the licence of the centre was suspended in 2021, the accused told the court that the hospital was closed, but they ran it covertly. We suspect that she was running it at night, just like many quacks in the old city, which is why it escaped the eyes of our officials, who would go for inspections during the daytime," officials said. Moreover, the complainants in the present case approached her in Hyderabad, but she told them that the delivery took place in Visakhapatnam, which shows that she did not want to operate from a single place as it would have exposed her malicious intentions, said the official, adding that they come across around four to five cases of child trafficking annually involving fertility centres, quacks, and others.
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Gurgaon IVF centre operating without license sealed after raid uncovers 84 embryos
Authorities in Gurgaon have sealed an unregistered in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy centre operating out of Sushant Lok 1, following a raid that uncovered multiple regulatory violations, including the presence of 84 embryos and untrained staff. The action followed an anonymous tip sent to Gurgaon Chief Medical Officer Dr Alka Singh earlier this month. 'I received an anonymous email stating that an illegal IVF and surrogacy centre had been running for over a year at Block B of Sushant Lok 1,' Dr Singh said. After consulting with the Haryana Director-General of Health Services, Dr Singh was advised to coordinate with the local Deputy Commissioner. 'Subsequently, on Tuesday, we formed a six-member team, including a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), after discussions with him. The state board (under the PCPNDT Act) authorised us to take action, and we proceeded with the inspection last Wednesday,' she told The Indian Express Saturday. The centre, which had been operational for approximately a year, was found to be functioning without the required registration. 'The centre was not registered, and their registry was not maintained properly,' Dr Singh said. 'The doctors and embryologists present were not adequately trained, and in some cases, there were barely one or two doctors. They had permission for an ultrasound machine but lacked approval for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures.' Authorities discovered 84 embryos stored at the facility, raising further concern. Staff at the centre claimed that samples were sent to Delhi for processing, but officials believe procedures may have been conducted on-site. 'After observing their activities, it appeared that these procedures were being conducted on-site, contrary to their claims,' Dr Singh added. While the presence of a large number of embryos has triggered questions, officials said there is no evidence yet to suggest the use of donor eggs from economically disadvantaged women or the provision of services to foreign clients. 'We cannot definitively say what was used or not,' Dr Singh said. The centre has since been sealed, and all equipment seized. 'It takes time to get authorisation and manage such cases, especially with 84 embryos involved,' she said, explaining the delay between the raid and the filing of the case. The first information report (FIR) was lodged on Thursday at the DLF police station in Sector 29, marking the first such case against an IVF centre in Haryana. A police spokesperson confirmed that the investigation is underway. 'The FIR was filed on the complaint by the health department. They have all the details on the devices and other material seized as of now,' the spokesperson said. Dr Sabu George, a long-time campaigner against female foeticide and member of the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee under the PCPNDT Act, said the development was not unexpected. 'It is not surprising at all. Over the years Gurgaon has become even more exclusive of a space than South Delhi, where demand for such facilities increases. Government oversight and implementation of the relevant laws post-registration of these centres is often found wanting,' Dr George said.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
PCPNDT case: Hospital officials get clean chit
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court quashed criminal proceedings against a homeopath and six trustees of a hospital in Bhavnagar district who faced charges under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994. After an inspection by health department officials at Samarpan Hospital in Talaja town, criminal proceedings under Sections 3 and 26 of the PCPNDT Act were instituted before a JMFC court against a homeopath, Bhupat Chopda , and trustees of the hospital for allegedly carrying out tests for sex determination of a fetus. All seven accused persons approached the HC, and their advocate, Aditya Choksi, contended that there was no evidence of sex determination or any pre-natal diagnostic procedure during the inspection. Chopda, a BHMS practitioner, was found using a Doppler device. The sonography machine was operational in an adjacent room, but no diagnostic activity was established. They also argued that the trustees were named accused without including the Samarpan Seva Trust itself, violating established legal precedent. It was also contended that the homeopath utilised a Doppler device to monitor the fetal heartbeat, a practice which per se does not fall within the ambit of "pre-natal diagnostic procedures" as statutorily defined. After hearing the arguments, Justice J C Doshi stated, "The initiation and continuation of prosecution against Dr Bhupat D Chopda is not legally sustainable and is liable to be quashed." The HC also quashed the case against the trustees because the hospital was not made an accused in this case.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
DMHOs of all 33 Telangana districts sensitised on PCPNDT Act
A sensitisation and orientation workshop on the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 was conducted at the Indian Institute of Health and Family Welfare (IIHFW), Hyderabad on Wednesday, July 9. The workshop was attended by District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs) of all the 33 districts. The workshop was conducted by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), including Dr. Padmini Kashyap, Deputy Commissioner, and Dr. Indranil Das, Director, PCPNDT. The training covered the importance of enhancing the value of the girl child in society, current status and monitoring indicators of PCPNDT Act implementation across the state, clarification of roles and responsibilities of Advisory Committees and Appropriate Authorities under the Act and Code of conduct, legal provisions, offences, and penalties under the PCPNDT framework, said a release.
