Female foeticide:Health Minister to discuss with doctors

Bhubaneswar, July 28 (UNI) Orissa Minister for Health and Family Welfare Duryodhan Majhi will meet doctors next week to prevent illegal pre-natal diagnosis and female foeticide conducted by some private nursing homes.

The Minister told the newspersons here today that he would discuss the issue with the representatives of Orissa chapter of Indian Medical Association, Orissa Medical Teachers Association and Orissa Medical Service Associations next week and seek their support for the strict implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (Regulation and Prevention of misuse) Act 1994 in the State.

The discovery of skulls and ribs of more than a hundred female infants in Nayagarha town and detection of a spurious drug manufacturing unit in Kantabanjhi area of Bolangir district recently had created a national furore.

Representatives of many voluntary organisations, political parties and bodies like the National Commission for Women as well as the National Commission for Child Rights had visited the spot. They also demanded the resignation of the Health Minister and strong action against the guilty.

The Chief Minister had already ordered a crime branch inquiry into the incidents and also constituted two task forces to prevent manufacture and sale of spurious drugs and check female foeticide.

The Minister said during the last three days, the authorities had raided 147 nursing homes and 199 ultrasound clinics all over the State and sealed 14 nursing homes and 29 ultrasound clinics.

During the time 125 medical shops were raided and 500 samples of medicines sent to Kolkata for testing.

Meanwhile, two drug inspectors had been placed under suspension and steps were being taken to arrest some doctors suspected to have been involved in female foeticide cases.

Strong action would be taken against those found guilty, he said.

Mr Majhi said though the crime branch inquiry at present was confined to only Nayagarha and Bolangir districts, other districts would be included if reports of female foeticide and marketing of spurious drug was confirmed.

UNI