Latest news with #SudhirRajpal
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Haryana: Intensify enforcement measures against illegal abortions, health officials told
The Haryana health department will intensify enforcement measures against illegal abortion practices and take strict action against doctors found guilty of such violations, including cancellation of their licences. Additional chief secretary (ACS), health, Sudhir Rajpal on Tuesday asked officials to focus on BAMS doctors and unqualified practitioners (quacks) involved in illegal abortions, particularly in Karnal, Palwal, Gurugram and Charkhi Dadri districts. The ACS directed officials to involve deputy commissioners and launch a crackdown on establishments involved in illegal medical termination of pregnancy in these districts. Officials were also directed to coordinate with police authorities and request the DGP to constitute a dedicated task force to combat illegal abortions. The ACS who on Tuesday chaired a weekly meeting of the State Task Force formed for improving sex ratio also ordered disciplinary action against the district monitoring and evaluation officer and deputy CMO of Faridabad for negligence in duty. The officials were also directed to create unique pregnancy IDs to track every pregnancy and ensure more accurate data of pregnant women. Registration of a doctor from Kurukshetra has also been recommended for cancellation by the Haryana Medical Council after he was allegedly found complicit in malpractices, said an official statement. An official spokesperson said that during the past week (May 27 to June 2), inspections were conducted across the state over the illegal sale of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits in which two MTP kits were seized and an FIR was registered. The number of wholesalers selling MTP kits has been reduced from 32 to five within a month in Haryana and the sale trend of MTP kits has seen a significant decline in 16 districts of the state, the spokesperson said. One firm has also been given notice under Drug and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, for violation of rules and legal proceedings shall be launched against it. 4 nursing homes sealed in Palwal Four nursing homes in Palwal where illegal abortions were being carried out by quacks were raided and sealed by a team of the health department. An FIR has been registered and the accused have been arrested, the spokesperson said.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Haryana set to roll out ‘pregnancy IDs' to tackle falling sex ratio
Gurgaon: Govt has decided that it will assign a unique ID to every pregnant woman, and it will be linked to her digital health record to help authorities monitor all cases and stop any illegal abortion attempt. The decision to assign 'pregnancy IDs' was taken at a weekly meeting of the state task force, chaired by additional chief secretary (health and family welfare) Sudhir Rajpal, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The method of implementation for this process in all healthcare and maternity centres, including the private sector, is yet to be finalised It is the latest in a series of announcements made by Haryana govt over the past few months to improve the state's sex ratio at birth (SRB). Last year, thirteen of the state's 22 districts saw a fall in the sex ratio at birth, taking the state's overall SRB for the year to 910, its lowest since 2016. SRB is the count of girls born for every 1,000 boys. According to Tuesday's announcement, every pregnant woman must register with the local auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) or at a govt health facility within the first trimester (before 10 weeks of pregnancy). This data will be logged into the govt's Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, which will assign a unique ID. This ID will be linked to the woman's health records, including her medical and personal details such as Aadhaar number, address, stage of pregnancy, etc. Officials said this digital record will help authorities monitor all cases, deter any illegal abortions and improve access to healthcare as well. "Unique IDs will enable the system to monitor pregnancies in real-time and identify any irregularities, especially in areas prone to gender-biased sex selection," Rajpal said. Health department officials told TOI that all registered ultrasound centres will be required to verify the pregnancy IDs before conducting the scans. This, they said, will help enforce the rule. The ID will help expecting mothers get access to govt healthcare schemes and benefits. The task force on Tuesday discussed other enforcement measures. The additional chief secretary was informed by the health department that four nursing homes in Palwal were sealed because unqualified medical practitioners were allegedly carrying out illegal abortions there. An FIR was registered and arrests were made after raids at the nursing homes. Officials said the state has restricted the number of wholesalers who deal in abortion kits from 32 to just five. Haryana has for decades struggled with a skewed sex ratio, often attributed to practices such as female foeticide and a preference for boys among families. The state's SRB, at 834, was the lowest in India when data for 2011 Census was collated. It improved its count to 923 by 2019 but the pandemic years saw a downturn. In the latest crackdown, Haryana govt directed all districts to register pregnancies and investigate any abortions beyond 12 weeks, particularly in cases in which the couple has one or more daughters. In April this year, govt also revoked registrations of 300 abortion centres and initiated action against over a dozen health department officials. These centres did not send weekly data on abortions and did not disclose reasons for allowing termination of pregnancy in some cases.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Haryana tightens noose on illegal abortions: 3 medical shops sealed, 6 FIR's registered in a week
Intensifying crackdown on the illegal sale of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits, Haryana authorities have seized 1,787 kits from seven districts in the last week—May 20-26, tightening surveillance and enforcement to curb misuse of abortion drugs. After the state task force was set up on February 6 to improve Haryana's sex ratio at birth (SRB) under the flagship Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign, authorities have seized about 8,800 MTP kits, registered over 50 FIRs, including at least 18 against online sellers of the kits. As the crackdown is part of Haryana's broader strategy to prevent sex-selective abortions through coordinated monitoring, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) registered six first information reports (FIRs) in the last week alone, sealed three medical shops, and two medical firms were served notices under the Drug and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, for regulatory violations, according to official data. The violations under the MTP Act are punishable with rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to seven years. These offences are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. The largest seizure was reported from Yamunanagar, where 1,740 kits were recovered from a distributor operating in Professor Colony. The remaining seizures were made in Gurugram (6), Ambala (1), Palwal (3), Panipat (20), Jind (13), and Rewari (4). 'During inspection at Dezire distributors in Yamunanagar, FDA officials found 1,740 Rule 96 of the Drugs Rules,1945. Of these, 40 kits were taken for testing and analysis, while the rest were sealed,' Manmohan Taneja, state drug controller of Haryana said. 'Prosecution under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act will be launched after following due procedure. The FDA is vigorously going after those involved in this racket of selling MTP kits illegally. Ever since the crackdown was launched, over 50 people have been booked for illegal sale of MTP kits.' As part of the intensified drive, the number of wholesale dealers selling MTP kits has been slashed from 32 to just six within a month. Officials said 373 MTP kits were sold last week to registered MTP centres in the state by six wholesalers, marking a declining trend in the legal sales of these kits. In a parallel enforcement effort during the previous week (May 13–19), the authorities conducted 50 inspections, closed 25 MTP centres, registered three FIRs, and seized 921 MTP kits. Licences of two doctors—one in Kurukshetra and another in Assandh (Karnal)—were suspended for malpractice and guideline violations. To check illegal abortions and protect the rights of the girl child, the additional chief secretary (ACS-health and family welfare) Sudhir Rajpal has also launched a personalised support system. Over 50,000 pregnant women with one or more daughters have been assigned an ASHA or anganwadi worker as a SAHELI (companion) for counselling and close monitoring. Any suspicious abortion in such cases will trigger an investigation and accountability of the SAHELI involved, top government officials said. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Rajpal reviewed the steps being taken by the STF set up in February to monitor progress achieved in curbing illegal abortions under the flagship 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign. The ACS directed officials to hold senior medical officers accountable in all community health centres (CHOs), ensuring that no illegal abortions occur within their jurisdictions. Henceforth, SMOs will hold weekly meetings with medical officers and CHOs every Tuesday, while chief medical officers were directed to hold meetings with SMOs every Wednesday to review efforts against illegal abortions and improve the sex ratio.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
In Haryana, Over 1,700 Abortion Kits Seized, 6 FIRs Filed After Raids
Chandigarh: Authorities in Haryana has seized 1,787 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits during statewide inspections carried out last week to check their illegal sale, and registered six FIRs in this regard, an official statement said here on Tuesday. This was revealed at the weekly meeting of the State Task Force for improving sex ratio held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sudhir Rajpal here on Tuesday. The meeting focused on intensifying efforts to curb illegal abortions and further improve the state's sex ratio under the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign. During the meeting, Mr Rajpal directed officials to intensify enforcement against illegal abortion practices and take strict action against doctors found guilty of such violations, including cancellation of their licences. Officials informed him that in the week from May 20 to 26, inspections were conducted across the state, during which 1,787 MTP kits were seized and six FIRs registered. In addition, three shops were sealed for illegal practices. The number of wholesalers selling MTP kits has been reduced from 32 to six within one month. Three cases of overcharging of MTP kits were detected while two firms were given notice under Drug and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for violation of rules. The MTP kit sale has seen a significant decline in 14 districts of the state, the official statement said. Mr Rajpal emphasised targeting quacks involved in illegal abortions. He directed the officials to hold senior medical officers accountable in all Community Health Centres, ensuring that no illegal abortions occur within their jurisdictions. He directed that senior medical officers shall hold weekly meetings with medical officers and community health officers every Tuesday, while chief medical officers should hold meetings with senior medical officers every Wednesday to review efforts against illegal abortions and improving the sex ratio. It was also decided to place 686 sub-registrars under the jurisdiction of all 122 Community Health Centres operating across the state to enhance accountability. Officials were also directed to revalidate the registration data of IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) centres operating across the state and closely monitor their activities to identify any malpractice or illegalities. Strict compliance with established norms will be enforced, with violators facing stringent action, the statement quoted Mr Rajpal as saying.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
1,787 abortion kits seized, 6 FIRs filed after raids in Haryana last week
Chandigarh, Authorities in Haryana has seized 1,787 Medical Termination of Pregnancy kits during statewide inspections carried out last week to check their illegal sale, and registered six FIRs in this regard, an official statement said here on Tuesday. This was revealed at the weekly meeting of the State Task Force for improving sex ratio held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sudhir Rajpal here on Tuesday. The meeting focused on intensifying efforts to curb illegal abortions and further improve the state's sex ratio under the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign. During the meeting, Rajpal directed officials to intensify enforcement against illegal abortion practices and take strict action against doctors found guilty of such violations, including cancellation of their licences. Officials informed him that in the week from May 20 to 26, inspections were conducted across the state, during which 1,787 MTP kits were seized and six FIRs registered. In addition, three shops were sealed for illegal practices. The number of wholesalers selling MTP kits has been reduced from 32 to six within one month. Three cases of overcharging of MTP kits were detected while two firms were given notice under Drug and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for violation of rules. The MTP kit sale has seen a significant decline in 14 districts of the state, the official statement said. Rajpal emphasised targeting quacks involved in illegal abortions. He directed the officials to hold senior medical officers accountable in all Community Health Centres, ensuring that no illegal abortions occur within their jurisdictions. He directed that senior medical officers shall hold weekly meetings with medical officers and community health officers every Tuesday, while chief medical officers should hold meetings with senior medical officers every Wednesday to review efforts against illegal abortions and improving the sex ratio. It was also decided to place 686 sub-registrars under the jurisdiction of all 122 Community Health Centres operating across the state to enhance accountability. Officials were also directed to revalidate the registration data of IVF centres operating across the state and closely monitor their activities to identify any malpractice or illegalities. Strict compliance with established norms will be enforced, with violators facing stringent action, the statement quoted Rajpal as saying.
