Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Declining sex ratio a cause of concern, says Panabaka

— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

HEALTH CARE: Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Health, giving away certificate to a child covered under the girl child protection scheme in the city on Friday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister of State for Health Panabaka Lakshmi has expressed serious concern over the declining sex ratio in the country. The Minister held a review meeting with officials of the Medical and Health Department, doctors and ANMs here on Friday.

The Union Minister said that the Centre launched the rural health mission but it was the duty of doctors and medical and health staff to implement the policies formulated. She underlined the importance of strictly implementing the Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act 1994 to reduce the imbalance in the sex ratio.

Ms. Lakshmi said it was unfortunate the both men and women were not able to get out of their yearning to have a male child. Pre-natal tests were only meant to rule out the presence of certain hereditary diseases but not to know the sex of the unborn baby.

She called upon doctors and nurses to educate people on various aspects of health. She commended the role of NGOs in this regard and assured them of all possible help.

District Leprosy Officer Rajendra Prasad gave a review of the implementation of PC and PNDT in the district. In- charge DM & HO Balasundara Rao, Regional Director of the Medical and Health Department Kamala Mohan and Indian Medical Association State president L.V. Raghava Rao were among those who spoke.

Representatives of PSI, Green Vision, FXB India Suraksha and SEED (all NGOs) and ANM s were present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Vizag making strides on information technology front
Builder told to hand over flat, pay compensation Consumer NOtes
Structures on beach accelerate erosion
A couple’s Gandhigiri on cycle
‘Bullet’ comes calling
Hazrat Ishaq Madani meet today
MiG-27 aircraft complete week-long operation
MPEDA plans 3 more labs
Declining sex ratio a cause of concern, says Panabaka
Kondu tribal women in need of help and support
No shielding the guilty, says SP
CPI (M) warns Government
TDP leaders undertake ‘padayatra’
Former Minister criticises Government on land deals
In Visakhapatnam Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu