Panchkula: The Haryana State Drugs Control Department has shut 300 abortion centres and cancelled their registration, and issued show cause notices to another 23 abortion centres in the state and compiling a list of medical wholesalers and stockists selling medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits, restricting their sale only to registered MTP centres. The department has identified nearly 62,000 pregnant women reaching out to them via the Health Department’s helpline 104 to raise awareness against female foeticide. The closed centres had allegedly failed to share and update information concerning its gynaecologists and abortion data. Special. A special task force formed to curb illegal female foeticide, out of 1,500 such centres operating in Haryana, another 23 have also issued show-cause notices this week after raids detected violations of rules warned as closures if violations were not addressed. Dr Virendra Yadav, convener of the task force said that over the past two months, the body has ensured the filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) against 17 online sellers of MTP kits being misused for illegal abortions.
Dr Yadav said that the crackdown has led to the lack of measured and action on the administrative side as well, as such the nodal officer responsible for enforcing the anti-sex determination law an taking stern action against misuse of illegal abortions in Hisar district has been suspended, and show-cause notices have been issued to senior medical officers for neglecting action against 12 community health centres in Nahar (Rewari), Tosham (Bhiwani), Danoda (Jind), Kunjpura (Karnal), Tauru (Nuh), Tigaon (Faridabad), Bhattu Kalan (Fatehabad), Ateli (Mahendragarh), Uklana (Hisar), Baropal (Fatehabad), Nissing (Karnal), and Ladwa (Kurukshetra) affected low sex ratios in these areas with the warning that unsatisfactory responses would lead to charge sheets. The SMOs of three CHCs with the lowest sex ratios had to face chargesheets, while nodal officers in five districts: Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, Rohtak, Gurgaon, and Faridabad have been replaced due to the poor sex ratio figures.
Information reveals, the civil surgeon of Hisar is preparing to file a criminal case and FIR against a female agent agent Usha identified as a middle person involved in illegal abortions. In another case, the civil surgeons of Rohtak and Sonipat have registered FIRs regarding a case in which a mother of two girls was coerced into an abortion, wherein investigation in the case is going on against both the family and the doctor to ascertain the circumstances. Dr Yadav emphasised that the Health Department has issued clear directives to intensify the vigil over MTP centres, particularly those performing illegal abortions on women. He warned that such centres will face strict action and any centre found involved in female foeticide will be shut down immediately and such MTP centers and gynaecologists involved in illegal practices may lose their licenses with immediate effect, besides registering FIRs against them, he added.
Information reveals, the State Drugs Controller has been tasked with compiling a list of wholesalers and stockists of MTP kits, restricting their sale exclusively to registered MTP centres. Unregistered In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres are also under scrutiny, with orders to close those found violating regulations or showing drop in sex ratios and found involved in malpractice. The Health Department has been advised to strengthen grassroots monitoring in this illegal practices by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) to urban wards under Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) and Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs) to collect data on births aiming to track the sex ratio by recording the birth of boys and girls in the area accurately. Sources reveal, the department has identified 62,000 pregnant women with one or more daughters to raise awareness against female foeticide. According to information, a proposed incentive scheme will offer ASHAs Rs 1,000 for each successful delivery of a girl child to mothers with more than two daughters. Women and Child Development and Panchayati Raj, is amplifying efforts to promote the message of saving and educating daughters, the spokesperson of health department said.
