KRISHNAGIRI: Seven village health nurses in Salem have been suspended by Attur Health Unit District (HUD), District Health Officer Yoganand and Salem District Health Officer Soundammal in connection with a sex determination racket case.
The racket was busted during a raid headed by Krishnagiri DHO G Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday night. The team found that Dr PA Muthamizh, working in Valasaiyur PHC, ran a clinic near Veeranam and allegedly performed sex determination tests and sex-selective abortion. The doctor and village health nurse K Ambika of Panamarathupatti were suspended on Wednesday.
Yoganand has sent a recommendation to the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services to terminate Kalaimani, who is staff nurse at Thedavur in Salem, as she had helped Dr Muthamizh with sex determination.
For the second day on Thursday, Dr Meenakshi, joint director of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques, held inquiries in Salem. Following this, six more village health nurses were placed under suspension, health department sources told TNIE.
Veeranam police registered a case against Dr Muthamizh and Kalaimani under section 49 of the BNS Act and section 23(1) of the Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act.