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Haryana makes registration of docs compulsory
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
In order to deal with doctors indulging in malpractices like sex determination tests, the Health Department, Haryana, has made it mandatory for all doctors to be registered with the Haryana Medical Council.

Announcing this today, the Director-General, Health Services, Haryana, Dr N.K. Sharma, said it would now be compulsory for all doctors — private practitioners as well as government doctors — to be registered with the state body. “This will help us take action against those conducting sex determination tests, which are banned under the Pre Natal Diagnostic Technique (Prevention and ) Act,” he said.

Dr Sharma said in many cases, the state government had been requesting the Medical Council of India to de-recognize certain errant doctors, but the medical body had refused to oblige. Doctors will now have to register themselves with the Haryana Medical Council in the next three months.

The move follows the revelations made by the owners of Sahib Hospital, Pattran, who were indulging in illegal termination of female foetuses. The quack couple — Pritam Singh and Amarjit Kaur — had revealed that a majority of their clients were referred to them from Kaithal, Raipur Rani, Naraingarh, Ambala and Tohana in Haryana.

“I have sounded all the Civil Surgeons concerned and requested them to conduct raids at such nursing homes. We have also decided to use decoy customers to catch the erring doctors, conducting PNDT tests. Yesterday, a nursing home was raided in Karnal — Sachdeva Nursing Home and his ultra sound machine was sealed. Police cases have also been registered against errant doctors in Tohana and two in Jakhal,” he said.