A Model it could not be

Sreelatha Menon
Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh

Shivpuri district in Madhya Pradesh could have been a model for the rest of the nation in enforcing the ban on sex determination. But for the absence of a follow-up to the pro-active enforcement of the 1994 PNDT (Pre conceptional and pre natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act here.

In November last year Shivpuri was the scene of conflict between the then district collector M Geetha and the doctors running ultra sound centres there.

She launched a drive against sex determination tests done by these centres in violation of the PNDT Act leading to three out of four of them being sealed for violation of the law in November 2005 and their licenses subsequently cancelled in December.

But a visit to the sleepy town in February revealed that not only has any prosecution been launched against the sealed clinics, some of these clinics are actually operating illegally thus defeating the purpose of the whole exercise.

The sealed clinics are illegally operating right under the nose of another District Collector Manohar Agnani known for his pro-active role in district Morena on the same issue.

The declining sex ratio in the area _ (853 as against national figure of 927) prompted the then Collector of Shivpuri district close to Gwalior to take the step.

I did a survey of 46 villages and found that sex ratio in some blocks was less than 850,"Says M Geetha. "The Chief Medical officer of the district alone is empowered to take action under PNDT Act. But since he was not doing much, I distributed his powers among three other health officials and ordered them to seal all ultra sound clinics simultaneously and seize all the documents there," says Geetha.

The forms and papers showed that the clinics were not filling the mandatory forms prescribed under the PNDT Act which helps in tracing the patients who undergo scanning at the clinics, says the former Collector.

The data can be used to ascertain the ratio of male and female children born to women who visited that clinic and thus detect any female foeticide.

These forms are to be submitted on the fifth of every month to the district health authorities. "The authorities have not been getting any forms and I took health officials into confidence before targeting all clinics at the same time," says Geetha.

A few days later, District Collector M Geetha was transferred to Gwalior excise department and in February, this reporter found that not only has no case been filed against a single clinic whose licenses were cancelled, some of the clinics are actually back in business albeit slyly.

M Geetha when contacted in Gwalior said she was absolutely disappointed to know that the sealed clinics were able to continue their work and none will ever be prosecuted.

She said that the raids were done in a hush hush manner to prevent any attempt to sabotage them. But once the clinics were sealed and documents seized, doctors were up in arms.

Doctors soon started spreading rumours saying that people would die as scanning was not being allowed in the town," she says. "I was lucky enough to get the support of MLA Yadshodhara Raje Scindia who said in public that she would not hear any complaints against the sealing of clinics violating the PNDT Act," says Geetha.

Some social workers also rallied in support of the cause of saving the girl child, she recalls.

I also announced that free scanning would be provided to any genuinely needy person in the district as all centres were closed. I deputed a person and a vehicle for this. Patients were taken to Gwalior for scanning during this period," she recalls.

The Collector also placed the order for a scanning machine for the district hospital.

The only regret she has today is that she was unable to get cases lodged against the violators of the law.

There was little time. We took the action in November, cancelled the licenses in December and I was transferred on January 4," she says.

Geetha says that as a student, her greatest disappointment was when she failed to make it in the medical entrance examination. Today she finds it ironical that she has to act against doctors. They are professionals who have taken an oath to nurture life. They cannot be snuffing it out for some money, she says. (Charkha Feature)

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