The district medical and health officials of Ranga Reddy have served notice to an ultrasound centre in Malkajgiri for conducting pregnancy check ups without referral slips from doctors and non-registration of all their machines, in gross violation of the PC & PNDT Act (Pre Conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act-1994). More crackdowns on ultrasound centres are in the offing.
Around 35 ultrasound centres have been sealed throughout the state for violating the Act. Dr Naseeruddin, in charge DMHO of Ranga Reddy district, said, “This month so far we have inspected four centres. Samhita Ultrasound Centre in Malkajgiri was found conducting vaginal ultrasound procedures without the mandatory referral slips from doctors. They have also not registered all their ultrasound machines. However, owners of the diagnostic centre said that they have all the documents pertaining to their scanning machines in their Trimulgherry branch. We have served them notice and have given them 24 hours to produce all the required documents. Else their license would be cancelled and they would be in for strict penalties for violation of the PCPNDT Act,” he said.
The DMHO also said that more such inspections would be conducted to check declaration of sex of foetus and other violations including non-registration of scanning centres, machines and all tests conducted. Recently, Dr Raja Prasanna Kumar, additional director (maternal and child health) said at a workshop that at present around 24 court cases are pending in Andhra Pradesh against various diagnostic centres and around 35 ultrasound centres have already been sealed.
“We are going to step up vigilance with surprise visits, regular inspections and sending decoy customers to these centres. Several workshops, organised by the commissioner of health and family welfare Praveen Prakash, and funded by the state government and National Rural Health Mission are being conducted for proper implementation of the Act,” he said.