Haryana CMOs Directed to Monitor Abortions Up to 24 Weeks to Combat Illegal Practices

Haryana's health department is intensifying efforts to combat illegal abortions. The additional chief secretary for health has instructed chief medical officers (CMOs) to begin reverse tracking of abortions performed up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. This initiative aims to identify and penalise medical practitioners involved in unlawful procedures. A detailed procedure for this reverse tracking has been distributed to all CMOs, according to an official statement.

The State Task Force (STF) held a weekly meeting on Tuesday, led by Rajpal, focusing on improving the sex ratio in Haryana under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign. The meeting highlighted the state's recent progress, with the sex ratio improving to 904 by July 7 this year from 903 during the same period last year. Rajpal stressed the importance of strict measures against illegal abortions, including revoking licences of involved doctors.

Efforts to Curb Illegal Practices

In Nuh district, two nursing homes were sealed due to illegal abortion activities. CMOs have been instructed to take action against doctors and quacks involved in such practices and submit weekly reports. Officials at the meeting informed the additional chief secretary that consistent field-level efforts have led to a noticeable increase in birth registrations for June compared to May.

To enhance these efforts, senior officers have been directed to work with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and anganwadi workers. Their task is to identify and register unregistered children, especially in slum and low-income areas of Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, and Faridabad. The aim is to complete all pending registrations within a month.

Regulation of IVF Centres

The STF decided that couples with one or two living female children seeking another child through IVF must obtain prior permission from the District Appropriate Authority. This measure is part of a broader crackdown on illegal Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) centres, which has resulted in the closure of around 500 such centres across Haryana.

This crackdown has also led to a significant decline in legal MTPs over the past two months. The woman and child development department reported that awareness campaigns under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao initiative are being actively conducted in public parks. Additionally, telecom companies are being engaged to spread the message through phone alerts.

Health Secretary and National Health Mission Director Rippudaman Singh Dhillon, along with senior officers from various departments, attended the meeting. The collaborative efforts aim to further improve Haryana's sex ratio and ensure compliance with legal medical procedures.

With inputs from PTI