Interactive Meet on Female Foeticide under Partnership Initiative Programme’ held

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INVC,,

Chandigarh,

A meeting on Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act to ‘SAVE THE GIRL CHILD’ was held today in the Auditorium of District Family Welfare Bureau, Sec.22, Chandigarh. It was held under the Public partner Initiative Programme. Representative of NGOs, leading Private Practitioners, Gynaecologists, Radiologists, participated in the programme. The meeting was chaired by Worthy Secretary Health, UT Chandigarh Sh.Ram Niwas IAS.

During this workshop he sensitized the participants about different activities and initiatives taken up by the Health Department to Save the Girl Child. He said that the ‘Declining sex ratio is a cause of Concern’, as the studies have shown that the sex ratio in the urban area has declined. As per the Mid line Survey RCH-II conducted by PGIMER in 2009 for Childhood (0-6 years) the sex ratio stands at 721 in urban area 851 in rural area 975 in slums and 855 as total. One of the reasons is that in the urban areas people are educated and have money to spend and get MTP done, they can afford the illegal ways to get their Ultrasound done to find out the sex of the baby. He urged the NGOs to work sincerely and put all the efforts to Save the Girl Child in the City Beautiful. He also informed that a special team of SDMs will be constituted to keep a check on the working of the NGOs and other health set ups Govt. as well as private. If any defaulter is found, he/she will be given harsh punishment under PNDT Act. He said it is a noble cause and it is for the betterment of the society that we all should work together to bring a social change and save the girl child empower her, educate her so that no girl child is vanished from the womb. He said that NGOs should plan IEC activities linked with special festivals and occasions like Navratras, Ram Lila Munch, Dusherra, Diwali, Durga Puja as platforms to sensitize and change the mindset of the people people. He also shared that in some states due to imbalance and declining sex ratio have forced the young eligible bachelors to buy women and marry them to have a male child in the family.

Dr.M.S.Bains, Director Health & Family Welfare, Chandigarh Administration said that together we can and we will fight against the evils of female feoticide.

A presentation was given by Dr.Soma, District Family Welfare Officer, Chandigarh Administration. It discussed the Current Scenario of declining sex ratio, Importance of Operational Research and Evidence Based medicine to know Socio cultural determinants of declining female sex ratio, abortions, role of preconception tests and Assisted Reproductive Technologies so as to increase the focus on those gaps and contribution by the NGOs in that area. Focus was laid on empowerment of pregnant women themselves to say no to PNDT sex determination.

To conclude the workshop an open session was conducted where the participants came forward and kept there views and suggestions on how to work collaboratively and effectively for PNDT Act Implementation to check declining Sex Ratio. Dr.U.P.Singh suggested that inspecting parties of Health Department should visit the clinics of Gynaecologists and select at random the reports of pregnant ladies and procure the copy of the same report. The contents of this report to be verified from the Ultrasound centres from where this ultrasound has been done in order to know whether that centre is working as per PNDT rules or not ?

Secretary Health, UT Chandigarh Sh.Ram Niwas IAS.
Secretary Health, UT Chandigarh Sh.Ram Niwas IAS.
RAM NIWAS IAS,INVC

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