Mysuru: The District Health Authorities have issued notices to 84 scanning centres across the district for violation of various norms including disclosing the sex of foetus, as laid out under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

Speaking to SOM this morning, District Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Mohammed Siraj Ahmed said that there were 244 registered scanning centres in the district and 15 of them were in Government Hospitals. But right now, only 183 were functioning and 84 of them have been served with notices for violation of different Sections under the Act.

Pointing out that the PCPNDT Act introduced by the Maharastra Government in 1994, became a National Act with the Union Government making appropriate amendments in 1996, 2004 and 2014, Dr. Siraj Ahmed said that two Committees — one headed by the Deputy Commissioner and the other PCPNDT Cell of the Health Department — have been formed to monitor compliance of the Act by scanning centres.

The PCPNDT Cell will hold a meeting every two or three months and if there is any complaint against any scanning centre, the Cell will take up investigation, he said.

Dr. Shivakumar, District Co-ordinator for PCPNDT Act, said that the scanning centres have to pay a fee of Rs.35,000 to the Health Department as licence fee.

He said that the Union Government has introduced ‘Balika’ online software, where scanning centres have to update on daily basis, the scan that they conduct with regard to PCPNDT.

Strict action will be initiated against those scanning centres which disclose the sex of foetus during pregnancy, he added.

“Any person who complain about foetus sex tests being carried out in scanning centres will be initially rewarded with Rs.1,000 and if charges are proved later, the informant / complainant will be finally rewarded with Rs.50,000,”  Dr. Shivakumar said.

Quoting the 2011 census, Dr. Shivakumar said that the sex ratio of Mysuru district stands at 961 women to 1,000 men and the Health Department is working on improving this ratio to 980:1,000 in the coming years.

Stating that scans must be conducted only by qualified Doctors (Radiologists), he asked the scanning centres to strictly comply with the rules laid out under the PCPNDT Act and not to charge exorbitantly for scans.