Tamil Nadu: Checks stepped up at prenatal sex determination scan centres

COIMBATORE: The Health Department officials in Coimbatore district have intensified the checking at scan centres to crack down against illegal prenatal sex detection practices.

The checking has been enhanced to prevent illegal sex determination leading to female foeticide, said NN Rajasekaran, Deputy Director of Health Services, Coimbatore.

The health department teams are actively monitoring both government and privately run scan centres in the Coimbatore district to prevent prenatal sex detection.

There is routine monitoring of the 528 scan centres in Coimbatore district. They include 52 at government hospitals and 476 private ones. Fifty-four scan centres are at IVF and ART centres in the district.

“The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act of 1994 prohibits sex determination before or after conception. Its main goal is to prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex-selective abortion and to stop female foeticide.

As per the act, knowing and announcing the gender of a child is a punishable offence. Accordingly, the Joint Directors Health Department in each district is monitoring the scan centres. In Coimbatore we conduct surprise checks at all the scan centres periodically to prevent them from engaging in violations,” said NN Rajasekaran, Joint Director of Health Services, Coimbatore.  

He said officials have to check many details including the details and price list of the scan machines bought by the scan centres. The centres are allowed to operate after scrutiny of documents. Even after this, they have to maintain the scanning data in digital format and the centres need to submit them before the officials whenever they ask.

In the last 10 months, 25 centres were issued notices for not maintaining records. The violations are dealt with under the provisions of the 1994 Act.
Women are usually suggested scanning after 13 weeks of pregnancy. While admitting them for scanning, the scan centres should collect information like the personal details of the pregnant woman,  whether she is pregnant for the first time, if she gave birth earlier, what is the child’s gender, etc.

Also, we check whether the woman continued her scanning until the child’s birth or not. If someone discontinues their scanning midway, we must check their pregnancy status. These practices prevent abortion and female foeticide. However, no such cases were reported in Coimbatore in recent days, Rajasekaran added.  

Sources say as many as 25 scan centres, mostly private, in the Coimbatore district, were issued notices seeking explanations for not maintaining scan data in the last year and around eight scan centres were temporarily closed for their negligence in maintaining data.

After a course of punishment, they are allowed to operate with a proper explanation and fine. Strict legal action would be taken against any scan centres involved in pre-natal sex determination.