All private medical centres should register under KPME Act: State

Mysuru/Bengaluru: In the aftermath of the shocking revelation of the female foeticide racket flourishing in Mysuru, Mandya, and Bengaluru, Health Department officials have now initiated inspections of ultrasound scanning machines in Mysuru.

Despite the racket operating for the past three years, leading to the abortion of approximately 3,000 foetuses and generating a business revenue exceeding Rs. 2 crore, the Health Department remained oblivious to the illicit activities conducted at Mathaa Hospital in Udayagiri and the Ayurvedic Piles Daycare Centre on Rajkumar Road, Mysuru. This oversight highlighted a concerning lack of diligence on the part of the Health Department.

In the ongoing inspections, a total of 139 scanning centres were scrutinised over a span of two days in Mysuru district. Family Welfare Officer Dr. Gopinath disclosed that out of the 288 scanning centres in the district, 139 were assessed on Friday and Saturday.

While the Government has set a deadline of Dec. 31 for the completion of inspections, the Deputy Commissioner has directed the expeditious conclusion of the inspection process within a week.

Dr. Gopinath highlighted that the Task Force has already initiated the inspection procedures.

The Local Inspection Committee, led by the Taluk Health Officer (THO) and consisting of an AYUSH Officer and a Health Officer, is actively examining each scanning centre in the taluk.

He emphasised the existence of nine teams in Mysuru city tasked with visiting scanning centers and conducting inspections of documents related to the permissions obtained for installing scanning equipment and operating the centre. Additionally, the teams will verify whether the equipment mentioned in the permission letter aligns with the actual equipment installed in the scanning centre.

KPME Act registration

As per a notification issued by the Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Bengaluru, on Dec. 1, all private medical establishments are mandated to register under Section (5) of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act of 2017.

The notification addresses concerns raised by the Commissionerate regarding the presence of unauthorised individuals, specifically quacks operating clinics and scanning centres.

Given the increasing prevalence of such fraudulent medical practitioners and establishments, the notification directs all District Health and Family Welfare Officers to instruct Taluk Health Officers (THO) and Inspection Officers to take action under Section (19) of the KPME Amendment Act of 2017.

The notification further instructs Inspection Officers that if any illegal medical establishments, clinics, hospitals, or laboratories are found operating, criminal complaints should be filed at the Magistrate’s Court.

Cases should be registered under the relevant IPC Section, and the matter should be brought to the attention of the jurisdictional Police. District Health and Family Welfare Officers are required to submit reports on the actions taken to the Commissionerate via email.