No check on abortions by quacks
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 28
Under the new Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, those who conduct an abortion will have to either get a licence or get registered with the Health Department. But due to the callous attitude of the authorities concerned, MTPs continue to be conducted at more than 500 centres in the district by unregistered medical practitioners.

An official of the Health Department on condition of anonymity said the centres were being run by auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs), trained nurses, BAMS, DHMS and even MBBS doctors. The official pointed out: “Out of this there are just 50 centres that are being run by MBBS doctors and not more than 50 are being run by the BAMS and DHMS doctors. All others are being run by illiterates”.

In the absence of effective regulation of the Act, unqualified medical practitioners (quacks) in the district are reportedly conducting the abortions which result in complications among expectant mothers. The practice is reportedly continuing despite the Supreme Court’s instructions, directing the state governments to strictly implement the PNDT and MTP Acts.

Dr Gursharan Singh, President of the district unit of the Indian Medical Association said: “Under the guidelines, the main requisite for an MTP centre to be recognised is either a specialist of MD (gynaecology) or a DGO (diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics or an MBBS doctor with one house job in gynaecology or any other MBBS doctor with a minimum of 25 MTPs conducted under the supervision of a trained gynaecologist in a government-recognised centre. Right now the only recognised centre in the district is the Civil Hospital Ludhiana”.

Dr Iqbal Singh of Iqbal Nursing Home, when contacted, admitted that such a practice was prevalent in small nursing homes. “The MTPs are common in the nursing homes which are not even registered with any appropriate authority. For the strict enforcement of the PNDT and the MTP Acts, the state government should be very clear. The government has created panic among the doctors which is not the solution. The agencies should be tough with the patients, doctors and scanning centres. The guilty should be equally punished because a doctor alone cannot be blamed for any MTP and female foeticide”,said Dr Iqbal Singh. A city resident on condition of anonymity told Ludhiana Tribune that she had conceived recently. “Since I had three children, I decided to go in for an abortion. For that I took a homeopathic medicine. Since the medicine did not help, I went to a doctor at a local hospital and she did the needful”, said the woman.

In several other cases, the patients are rendered permanently infertile due to the mishandling of cases by these so-called “doctors”. The doctors charge anything between Rs 300 and Rs 1500 and above depending on the duration of pregnancy.

Medals for city schoolboys
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 28
Students of the local Everest Public Senior Secondary School have won medals in various age-groups of the district-level Summer Field Games organised at Gill village.

In the under-14 age-group of the tournament, Mandeep Singh of Class VIII and Vivek of Class IX won gold medals in judo competitions. In the Under-17 age-group of the tournament, Pawan Kumar Singla of Class X and Deepak Garg, also of Class X, won silver medals in the judo competitions.

Gurwinder Singh of Class VIII won a silver medal in the under-14 age-group. In the under-19 age-group, Rajeev Kumar, a Class XII student of arts, and Amandeep Singh of Class X won bronze medals.

Admn gears up for Beant’s Martyrdom Day
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 28
Elaborate arrangements are being made to organise the state-level function to commemorate the Martyrdom Day of Beant Singh on August 31 at Payal. The local administration is expecting a large number of people to participate.

Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, said a large number of senior politicians and ministers were expecting to present on the occasion to pay tributes to the great leader, who had sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country. He said separate blocks would be earmarked for different sections and adequate arrangements were being made to provide drinking water. A big tent to accommodate the gathering is under installation and it will be decorated with banners and portraits of the great martyr.

The function will start at 10 a.m. and artistes will present a cultural programme based on patriotic songs. To control the traffic and provide proper parking places for senior leaders and the general public, the police is making elaborate arrangements.

Yesterday a meeting to review the arrangements was held in which Mr Tej Parkash Singh, Transport Minister, Mr Aggarwal, Mr Malkiat Singh Dakha, Mr Surinder Dawar, ‘both MLAs’ were present, among others.

Mr Tej Parkash Singh, who is currently on tour in the Payal constituency, told mediapesons that he had covered most of the villages and claimed that residents of the area would be participating in large number. He said the people from other parts of the state would also attend the function.

Prohibitory orders imposed
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 28
The district administration has banned the use of any uniform resembling that of the Army, BSF and the police since the same has been used by anti- social elements to commit crimes and has also warned their use by private security agencies for their personnel.

According to Mr Anurag Aggarwal, DM, the orders were being issued for effective prevention and detection of crime and as a speedy remedy against danger to human life.

In the second order, the DM has also banned the use of loudspeakers for ensuring law and order in the city.

Thirdly, the landlords — those in the residential, commercial and industrial areas — have been directed to furnish the particulars of their tenants, workers and servants to the nearest police station.

All orders have been issued with immediate effect under Section 144 of the Cr P C and will remain in force till October 18.