Health Department staff involved in female foeticide at Pandavapura

Ambulance driver, his wife, mother-in-law, nurse arrested

Pandavapura: The Health Department staff, who are supposed to protect the health of the patients, have involved themselves in killing female foetuses at the Department quarters, located right behind the Taluk Health Officer’s (THO) office in Pandavapura. The Police have arrested four employees of the Department in this regard.

Those arrested are Pandavapura Government Hospital ambulance driver Anand, his wife Ashvini, a Group D employee, Ashvini’s mother Shashikala and Nurse Girijamba.

Following information that a female foetus of a Mysuru-based woman was being aborted in the quarters allotted to Anand, a team from Pandavapura Police Station led by Sub-Inspector (SI) Umesh, raided the quarters and caught four accused red handed while they were aborting the female foetus and arrested them.

At about 11.30 pm on Sunday, an unidentified caller, called the SI and informed about abortions being done at the residential quarters of Anand following which the SI and his staff raided the residence of Anand at about 12 midnight, during which the Police personnel saw Nurse Girijamba performing abortion to the Mysuru-based pregnant woman.

The Police, who arrested the four accused immediately, informed about it to the THO and immediately shifted the woman, who had undergone a part of the abortion procedure to the Government Hospital, where the team of doctors led by the Health Officer performed the abortion procedure and saved the woman’s life. The Police have seized medical equipment used for performing abortions from Anand’s residential quarters.

Preliminary investigation

Preliminary investigation revealed that the pregnant woman underwent scanning at a house where the gender of the foetus was determined. She was then brought to Pandavapura, where she was given tablets to induce pain. The pregnant woman was told to inform them when she get pain and was made to stay at a lodge. When the woman developed pain, she was brought to the quarters of Anand where the foetus was being aborted.

Meanwhile, Mandya Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Kumara, Superintendent of Police (SP) N. Yathish, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Dr. Mohan and Zilla Panchayat CEO Sheik Tanveer Asif visited the place and conducted an inspection. The DC later held a meeting of officials at the Government Hospital Administrative Officer’s office and discussed about the future course of action.

DC Dr. Kumara, speaking to media persons, said that the Police and the Health Department officials, after collecting information about illegal abortions being performed at the Health Department’s residential quarters, conducted a raid and have arrested four persons besides seizing equipment used for performing illegal abortions.

Pointing out that a thorough probe will be conducted and legal action will be initiated against the accused, the DC said that Anand was taken as an ambulance driver as an outsourced employee and was allotted the quarters nine years back, where Anand, his wife Ashvini and Ashvini’s mother Shashikala were residing.

The DC further said that it is to be known whether any doctor had suggested the abortion tablets or whether it was bought without prescription. “It is also to be known about the involvement of any officials of the Department in this case. Officials have been instructed to check the list of calls made and received by the accused on their mobile phones” the DC added.

“The District Administration has taken female foeticide cases very seriously. A special team comprising Health Department and Police officials will be formed and a thorough probe will be conducted to find out all those involved in this illegal racket and legal action will be taken against them,” the DC said.

SP Yathish said that it is to be known about the involvement of the four accused in the female foeticide cases which had taken place at the jaggery unit in Hadya village. “It looks like there is a big racket in female foeticide cases. A meeting with officials will be held to discuss whether to form a special team to investigate the case,” SP Yathish added.