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No conclusive proof of foeticide in State, says Helath Minsiter

BHUBANESWAR: Seven months after State crime branch retrieving remnants of dead foetuses from a well in Nayagarh and subsequent to its rounding up of several doctors, Orissa Government on Thursday said it did not find any “conclusive proof” of foeticide in hospital and nursing homes in the State.

Replying to questions put by members on status of much hyped foeticide cases, State Health Minister Sanatan Bisi said the foeticide case was being investigated by crime branch but it had not received any proof on killing foetuses in any hospital of the State.

However, raids were conducted on as many as 389 ultra sound clinics to know if there was any violation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (PPDT) Act.

“The State Government has registered cases against proprietors of six ultrasound clinics in Ganjam and Sundargarh districts on charges of violation of PPDT Act,” Mr. Bisi said.

While penalties had been collected from many owners of such clinics in Jharsuguda, Puri, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Deogarh, departmental proceedings had been initiated against some government employees, he informed.

In July last year, images of bodies of newly born babies in Nayagarh district had created hue and cry among social activists and general public. Even dead foetuses were retrieved from backyard of a clinic in Bhubaneswar.

Similarly, the State Government disclosed that as many as 53 companies were found to be involved in possessing drugs which were not adhering to standards after State police busted a fake medicine manufacturing unit in Kantabanji of Bolangir district.

“We have registered cases in connection with 46 drugs of inferior qualities after collecting 4,508 samples. The State level task force is reviewing the situation regularly,” Mr. Bisi said.

Four persons were apprehended for their alleged involvement in manufacture of fake drugs in Kantabanji while drug inspector T. V. Rao who was deputed there was suspended from the service, the Minister said.

He admitted that only 17 drug inspectors were monitoring drugs of several hundred medicine stores as against sanctioned strength of 24.

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