Delhi clinics, hosp raided for sex determination tests

New Delhi, Sep 3: A prominent hospital in the upscale GK-II area have been raided by the Central Inspection Team for violating the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Sex Determination Test (PC & PNDT) Act. The team also raided two South Delhi-based diagnostic centres and sealed ultrasound machines there.

According to the officials, the diagnostic centres were under-reporting procedures and were not maintaining proper records.

Officials added that the raids were part of a Central initiative to balance the skewed sex ratio by checking sex-selective abortions.

"At K L Chest Diagnostic Clinic in Munirka, machines used for obstetric ultrasound procedures were sealed due to non-maintenance of prescribed records and under-reporting of procedures. Whereas at the Modern Diagnostic Centre in Tughlaqabad Extension, the single ultrasound machine was sealed and all records seized by the inspection team for irregularities," said a ministry official.

Sources said that concerned over the skewed sex ratio in the latest census report, the Centre decided to empower the monitoring committees to ensure effective action against clinics / facilities guilty of violating provisions of the PC & PNDT Act.

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had chaired a meeting of the Central Supervisory Board in June to discuss the matter. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had also expressed concern over the declining sex ratio in recent communication with the states .

In Delhi, the child sex ratio for the age group of 0 to 6 years has marginally declined from 868 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001 to 866 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011. In southwest district, the ratio was found to be highly skewed with 836 girls per 1,000 boys in Census 2011.

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