BENGALURU : A sex determination and female foeticide racket was discovered recently in Karnataka, and revealed that a team of doctors was using a jaggery unit in Mandya as an ultrasound scanning centre, and had aborted around 900 female foetuses in the past two years.
The incident has pointed out flaws in the enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, and the continued violations by centres performing sex determination tests, despite being banned in 1994.
Highlighting the continued prevalence of such cases, Dr Ravi N, secretary, Indian Radiology and Imaging Association, Karnataka chapter, said radiologists have become flag-bearers of the blame for fake doctors and unregistered laboratories performing sex determination tests and abortions, solely for financial gain.
“Multiple quacks have emerged, as several unregistered training institutes (stimulation centres) claiming to provide skills for performing ultrasound tests, among other tests. However, they are also secretly performing gender detection tests but we do not have proof to call them out,” Dr Ravi said. More than the registered doctors and radiologists, these quacks perform tests, especially in rural parts. Even a few government-run training courses have also been introduced, adding to the burden, he added.
A radiologist can determine the gender of the baby in the 12-15th week of pregnancy, the second trimester. According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP) 2021, a woman is allowed to terminate her pregnancy with the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, up to 20 weeks of gestation.
As both the time durations are near to each other, it results in violation of both the PCPNDT and MTP Acts, if an abortion is performed illegally after the 20th week. Other than the radiologist and the mother, no one else, be it the husband or another family member, is allowed inside the room, while an ultrasound is being performed.
While it is being ensured that all medical professionals diligently follow this practice and are trained to not disclose the gender of the baby even by mistake, as addressing the baby as a ‘him’ or ‘her’ also ends up revealing the gender without any ill intention. There is a lack of vigilance over these ‘quacks’ who might allow families to witness the ultrasound tests, violating protocols and aiding abortions in case it’s a girl.
“It is saddening to see that even today, when we come out after a successful delivery, and inform the family about the baby’s gender, they jump with joy when news of a boy being born is announced, but develop a sombre attitude when a girl is born,” Dr Usha BK, neonatologist and assistant professor at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute.
For centuries, preference was given to male children, irrespective of people’s socio-economic status. Girls are called a ‘burden’, for raising them only to send them off to a possible suitor, while boys would bring support to the family even after marriage.
Following protocol
Measures are being taken to reduce such cases. Dr Pradeep Srinivasan, head of radiology, Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru, explained that every foetal medicine specialist is to follow a set protocol of uploading the patient details on the government-run portal, stating details, followed by an undertaking signed by both parties. “To avoid any gender-related discussions, we refer to the baby as ‘it’ instead of ‘him’ or ‘her’, to avoid the slightest chance of revealing the baby’s gender,” he added.
The district level task force committee also takes up ‘decoy operations’ by sending pregnant women to scanning centres to undergo scanning, and requesting the radiologist to disclose the sex. The lack of clarity in defining the PCPNDT Act has resulted in many radiologists calling it a ‘draconian law’ as it gives officials authority to misuse it too, without much proof of a professional indulging in sex determination activities. Even a clerical error is considered a possible case of performing such activities, making doctors fearful of taking radiology as a specialisation, to avoid unreasonable scrutiny.
EDITORIAL | Enforce law strictly on female foeticide
Among the border districts in the state, where gender detection and female foeticide is still rampant, Udupi comes as a ray of hope as no cases, indicating sex determination activities, have been reported in the past 15 years. Experts attributed it to the traditional adoption of a matriarchal family system when women having an upper hand in families, is not considered a cause of insecurity among men.
Families, doctors to blame
Doctors have blamed both the families and medical professionals indulging in such practices, as both are driven by each other’s wants. However, medical professionals who take the oath not to break any laws and promote such activities for personal gain, are called the bigger culprits.
Recalling one such incident, Dr Satish, DHO, Kodagu, said a doctor couple alongside seven others were booked for alleged trafficking of a newborn a few years ago. They allegedly performed the delivery on a minor on request from the parents, with the help of a nurse and a group D worker. Post the delivery, the baby was allegedly sold for Rs 1.5 lakh to a private hospital. The case is pending in court, both the doctors are serving practitioners, and only faced suspension for two months.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of achieving ‘gender equality and empowering all women’ by 2030 seems a far-sighted goal when a daughter continues to be killed while in the womb, or abandoned by her parents immediately after being born.
(With inputs of Ramkrishna Badseshi/Kalaburagi, B K Lakshmikantha/Mysuru, Divya Cutinho/Mangaluru, Ramachandra V Gunari/Shivamogga, Prakash Samaga/Udupi, Prajna GR/Madikeri)