The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

‘Empower women to curb female foeticide’
Our Correspondent

FACT FILE

State must empower women by affirmative discrimination in their favour.

There has been a rampant misuse of reproductive technology in a society characterised by a strong bias against female child.

No one tries to understand the psyche of women, who undergo female foeticide.

Gender bias is deeply rooted in our psyche.

Only 25 per cent women give their consent for abortions, otherwise they are always forced for foeticide.

Ludhiana, September 23
Female foeticide is a complex issue. But women who undergo this procedure have quite different perception from what medical professionals, religious leaders, opinion-makers, gate-keepers of society and planners think. Since education, financial well-being, religiosity do not have any impact on the psyche of the women who undergo female foeticide, to combat this menace, the state must empower women by affirmative discrimination in their favour. These facts were put forward by Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, from his study “Exploding myths on female foeticide” here today. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day health education conference on “Reproductive rights, PNDT Act and female foeticide in rural Punjab”. The conference has been organised by the Department of Health Education and Family Welfare, Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) here, at the hospital.

Mr Aggarwal said that the Constitution of India guaranteed equality to women. It imposed a fundamental duty on its citizens to uphold the dignity of women. Despite this, India’s deep-rooted “sons only” ethos continues. New developments in medical technology had helped improve health of millions of people. One cheap and widely available test could tell the sex of an unborn child. But it was unfortunate that there was rampant misuse of reproductive technology in a society characterised by a strong bias against female child.

Mr Aggarwal said many studies had been done on gender bias and female foeticide by collecting data from doctors and other secondary sources but none had tried to understand the psyche of the women who had undergone female foeticide.

“There must be a good understanding of social, religious, economic and emotional factors, which have built gender bias in the mindset of the mother. Considering these factors, a community-based study was undertaken in rural population of Punjab. As per the findings, gender bias is ultimately responsible for female foeticide and is deeply rooted in our psyche,” maintained Mr Aggarwal.

The findings revealed that 90 per cent of the respondents agreed that boys were given preference in society. Since there had been hardly any complaints, people thought that foeticide was always with the consent of the mother and was amongst less educated and poor, who cared little for human values. The findings disclosed that there were only 25 per cent consent cases. Educated and rich were no better in this regard. Upper castes were worse, as more number of women of upper caste were forced to go in for abortion.

The study revealed that 71 per cent of the respondents went for female foeticide because they previously had daughters and wanted a son. Only 6 per cent said that daughters were a financial liability.

Mr Aggarwal stressed that as per the findings, 84 per cent women already realised that foeticide was a sin and 60 per cent of the respondents regret having undergone foeticide. The data was not significantly affected by caste, education, religion, religiosity and financial status.

The conference was attended by Dr Silas J. Charles, Director CMC, Dr T.M. Jaison, Deputy Director, CMC, Mr Satish Bansal, Ms Surinder Kaur Grewal.

Seminar on infertility management held
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 23
“Now the couples with infertility problems need not despair. With the new techniques and technical advancements, almost 47 per cent couple can after treatment get babies. Out of it 80 per cent of women may be able to conceive within six months and rest 20per cent may conceive in the next six months of the treatment. The other factors, like age are also to be taken into account. But it will not take more than a year.” These are the views of Dr R. Rajan, retired Professor and Head of Gynaecology at Kottyam, ex- president of the FOGSI and president of the Indian Academy of Human Reproduction.

He was addressing gynaecologists of the city at a seminar on “New Trends in Infertility Management”. The seminar was organised by Sofat Fertility Centre yesterday. Dr Rajan said the most important factor was to treat the couples together. The gynaecologists should be sonologists also and had to learn new techniques in endocrinology and vaginal ultrasound. Armed with this knowledge the doctors could make the diagnosis within a day and if the fault was correctible than it could be corrected.

In the morning session, Dr Rajan held a workshop on ultrasound.

Dr Vimal Someshvara, a pioneer of many interventional radiological procedures, enlightened the doctors on the new trends in infertility management. He talked of recanalisation of fallopian tubes under C-arm treatment.

The president of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab, Dr R.C. Garg, said doctors were facing a lot of litigations and working under trying circumstances but they would have to render dedicated and selfless service to patients.

IMA, AMS organise CME on GERD
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 23
A continuing medical examination (CME) on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was jointly organised by the IMA, AMS and Bassi hospital here today.

According to a press note, more than 75 doctors attended the CME. Dr Ajit Sood, a gastroenterologist, said the disease was present as heart burn, non-cardiac chest pain and reflux of acid into mouth. He said hyperacidity, weak lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and hiatal hernia were the major causes for the reflux disease. He stressed upon the role of H2-blockers (omeprazole) and PPI (pentoprazole) in the treatment of these patients.

Dr Naresh Bassi, a laparoscopic surgeon, said surgery played a definite role where the weak LES and hiatal hernia were the precipitating causes and emphasised that in the coming years laparoscpic fundoplicaiton would be the first line of treatment for GERD.

SPORTS

Manisha, Prem win titles
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 23
Manisha Lehal and Prem Singh both from Punjab won title in and women’s and men’s section respectively, in the second Senior National Draughts Championship which concluded at Ludhiana on Sunday.

Deepinder Singh of Chandigarh and Rajni Rani of Punjab finished runners-up while Sunil Jastey of Himachal Pradesh and Rachna of Uttar Pradesh got the third position in the men’s and women’s sections, respectively. Mr Rajpal Singh, general secretary, Draughts Federation of India distributed the prizes.

Table tennis meet

More than 50 teams from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir are expected to take part in the VIth CBSE Table Tennis Cluster XII Championship to be held at Alpine International Senior Secondary School in Ludhiana from October 17 to 20, according to Ms Rajeshwari Dhir, principal of the school.

During this four-day tourney, competitions in the individual as well as team events (boys and girls) in the age groups u-14, u-16 and u-19 will be organised. Mr Rajesh Chhabra, Principal Secreatary, Punjab and President, Punjab Table Tennis Association, will inaugurate the championship.