BENGALURU: The failure of successive State governments to understand the seriousness of foeticide is reflected in the fact that only 76 cases have been registered against scanning centres in Karnataka between 2002 to February 2017.
The statistics provided by the Department of Health and Family Welfare not only reflect this dismaying statistic, but also say that 37 of these 76 cases are still pending.
The cases are registered under The Pre-Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 for scanning conducted to determine the gender of the unborn child.
Responding to a query raised by MLC T A Saravanan in the legislative council on Monday, health minister Ramesh Kumar said there were 4,398 scanning centres in the State, out of which 193 belonged to the government. "The private scanning centres require licenses issued by us to run and they are authorised to scan when there is a specific note by the gynaecologist to do so. Otherwise it is unethical," he explained.
He also said that committees had been formed at district and taluk levels to monitor these diagnostic centres, but he was unhappy with their progress. "If we find evidence that they have conducted scans without the requisite requirements, we cancel their licenses and initiate criminal proceedings against them," he said.
Figures provided by Ramesh Kumar’s department, however, reflect the apathy to the situation.
Last Friday, a woman died in a government hospital in Kortagere in Tumakuru district by excessive bleeding, after allegedly being administered an overdose of abortion pills. According to the family of the deceased woman, Radhamani, a midwife gave her the pills so she could avoid giving birth to her fourth daughter.
When asked what action was being taken in this case, Ramesh Kumar said initial reports suggested a doctor had recommended termination of pregnancy. "But I do not have all the details now. We will definitely initiate action if we find the medical staff is at fault. But I can do so only after looking at the documents," he added.
He excused the Department's inaction by saying that it was not possible to prevent foeticide by merely implementing the law, but it also required a change of mindset in the people.
