HEALTH

‘Step up offensive against female foeticide’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 29
“Out of all abortions, 99 per cent are illegal and 80 per cent of these are conducted by quacks in villages,” said Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, at a seminar on ‘Female Foeticide’ in Guru Nanak Bhavan here today.

Mr Aggarwal said that the alarming increase in female foeticide in India had shaken the World Health Organisation (WHO). “Health workers should step up the effort to check the menace, as 80 per cent of the mothers do not want to abort their babies, but are forced to do so by their husbands and in-laws. Health workers should take steps to stop this practice by registering all pregnancies and following these up till deliveries,” he said.

Dr J.S. Bhullar, Civil Surgeon, said the Health Department had decided to hire health workers to detect unauthorised diagnostic centers. He said the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PNDT) Act of 1994 still needed strict enforcement. He said the department had registered 153 ultrasound clinics in the district, but required help from the NGOs and the Indian Medical Association (IMA). He also said an advisory committee had been formed to review the progress on the issue after every two months.

Dr Bhullar said the department had adopted a new policy to hire auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) for detecting illegal abortions. He also said the sex ratio had declined to an all-time low in Punjab (1,000:750 against the prescribed 1,000:950).

Dr Prabhjot Singh Brar, Assistant Civil Surgeon, who is responsible for implementing the PNDT Act, said, besides health workers, senior officials would also be made accountable for illegal abortions. Dr Bhullar said if proper records of the causes of termination of pregnancies were not maintained by health workers, they would face action.

The other speakers at the seminar said the Act could be enforced properly only if women gave it their support by rejecting the MTP.

The seminar was attended by the SMOs of various blocks, the Programme Officers, the District Mass Media Officer and the District Family Welfare Officer.

IMA reacts to false cases against doctors
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 29
The state president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr R.C. Garg, has strongly condemned the false cases being registered against ultrasound centres by authorities under the PNDT Act.

Dr Garg, in a press note today, said IMA would not tolerate such cases and would take up the issue with the higher authorities so that, doctors in the state do not feel insecure and suffocated.

He said that he had recently received several complaints from doctors of Faridkot, Morinda and Patiala for being unnecessary harassed by authorities.

Dr Garg also condemned the Punjab Government on their decision of cancellation of recruitment of PCMS doctors by the former Chairman, Mr Ravi Sidhu. He said that such a move on part of the government was unethical and unfair.

Chemists not to sell intoxicants
Our Correspondent

Khanna, May 29
Chemists of Khanna have decided not to sale drugs used as intoxicants by drug addicts. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of chemists that was held at the Golden Grain Club on Monday. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the president of the Khanna Chemists Association, Mr Parmveer Singh.

Various speaker on the occasion criticised the government decision of giving power to police to raid chemist shops. Mr Parmveer Singh said, “The time has come that each chemist should sell medicines on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner only.”

Appreciating the move of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to weed out corruption, he said chemists of Khanna would fully favour his moves. He urged fellow chemists not to sell intoxicants as it might bring bad name to the chemist community. The joint secretary of the association, Mr Pritpal Singh, the senior vice-president, Mr Ranjit Singh Rana, and the general secretary, Mr Rajneesh Wadhawan, also addressed the meeting.