The Hindu : New Delhi News : Doctors learn to work around new Act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Doctors learn to work around new Act

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, DEC. 19. It doesn't really matter that the law prohibits doctors from telling their patients anything more than the health status of the unborn child, but they do it anyway.

And that is the principle that some doctors seem to be following, at least in the Capital where they have learned to work around the new Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994.

According to the non-official jargon for telling couples that they have a baby boy, Delhi doctors, say workers who have been in the field for long, would use "congratulation'', "touch the right ear'', give a "thumbs up sign'' and even tell the parents "not to worry'' in case of a baby boy. The selective elimination of female foetuses through sex-determination is rampant in the city, especially in the border areas of Delhi, private nursing homes in East Delhi, pockets of West and North Delhi where a large number of non-registration of ultrasound machines has added to the problem.

"Clearly there is nothing official about it, but what we are saying is that these gestures effectively convey and let the couple know of the sex of the baby. The government is not strong enough to implement the PNDT Act and the anecdotal evidence is not enough for the various law enforcing agencies to work with,'' explained the executive director of the Centre for Social Research, Ranjana Kumari.

"Sex determination and sex pre-selection through scientific techniques are to be utilised only when certain genetic conditions are anticipated. People of all class, religious and caste backgrounds use sex determination and sex pre-selection facilities and in Delhi we have recorded data that points out that even well off families have cases where the female baby is eliminated,'' said the executive director of Population Foundation, A.R. Nanda.

"The situation in Delhi is worrying and with consumerism adding a new dimension to the situation, enforcement agencies need to involve women agencies, youth groups and even neighbourhood watch teams to counter the problem. We have to understand that the problem cannot be willed away and though there are tales about doctors using different means to tell the patient about the sex of the child, it is done in a manner where they can't be booked or taken to court,'' he added.

The problem, according to experts, becomes more pronounced by the fact that the enforcing authorities are also headed by doctors and by and large it is noted that the doctors will try and protect some one from their own fraternity, which is why prosecution is very low and investigations take forever. "We have to have a more proactive District Appropriate Authority and State Appropriate Authority, where evidence is collected and action is swift and a strong message is sent out to erring people,'' claimed an expert.

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