Gender test ‘racket’ at Raikot centre

Gender test ‘racket’ at Raikot centre

Chandigarh: An ultrasound centre sealed recently by the Health Department has baffled the health authorities as over 75 per cent of the pregnant women who underwent an ultrasound at the centre delivered male babies. The department is suspecting a huge sex-determination scandal.

Mata Lajjawati Jain Memorial Hospital in Raikot, Ludhiana, came under the scanner after the health authorities in Barnala got a tip-off that a pregnant woman allegedly underwent a sex-determination test at the centre.

The Civil Surgeon’s office, Barnala, analysed the record of the centre and found that between January and December 2022, the centre examined 202 “self-referred” pregnant women from across the state and some other states too.

As per a communication sent by the Civil Surgeon to the Director, Health Services, Punjab, 135 pregnant women from Ludhiana district and 67 from other districts of the state and neighbouring states got a scan done at the centre. While data for Ludhiana district is not yet available, of the remaining 67 cases, it was found that 39 women gave birth to boys and just nine gave birth to girls. Besides, four abortions took place. Five deliveries are still awaited, eight did not turn up for a follow-up and two women were not pregnant.

A bigger shock for the health authorities came after an analysis of the record of women pregnant between 14 and 20 weeks. At this stage of pregnancy, the gender of the foetus can be determined through an ultrasound. Of 24 women, 20 gave birth to boys and just one girl was born. Two deliveries are awaited and one case remains untraceable.

“Such a huge gap in the birth of male and female babies is only possible due to sex determination,” said Dr Areet Kaur, former Director, Health Services, Punjab. “The sex ratio is still skewed in Punjab. The figures in this case are shocking. It needs to be probed thoroughly,” she said.

Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh, Civil Surgeon, Barnala, said he got a tip-off that a sex-determination test of a pregnant woman from Barnala district was carried out at the particular ultrasound centre in Raikot. “However, the woman denied undergoing any such test. So, we summoned the complete record of the three centres in Raikot.”

On January 14, the Barnala health authorities received information that the woman had delivered a male child.

The role of the Ludhiana health authorities has also come under the scanner. The Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, did not provide the complete record of 135 cases despite five reminders sent to them. When they provided the record after the intervention of the state health authorities, it was incomplete. The Ludhiana authorities were able to verify the record of just 66 cases. In 69 cases, they claimed the mobile phone was switched off. They didn’t feel the need to physically verify the record by visiting the registered address, which is mandatory under the PNDT Act.

Dr Hatinder Kaur, Civil Suregon, Ludhiana, said the centre was sealed as the doctor in whose name the ultrasound machine was registered had left the country without intimating the authorities and it was being operated by a nurse. Asked about the district health authorities’ non-cooperation in verifying the record, she said they had an acute shortage of ASHA workers and ANMs.

All attempts to contact Dr Ramesh Jain, owner of Mata Lajjawati Jain Memorial Hospital in Raikot (Ludhiana) remained futile as his assistant, who received the call on his mobile number, said he was in the US and would be back after 10 days.