Five tip-offs on PCPNDT helpline

Within two days of inauguration, helpline to fight female foeticide gets info from anonymous callers on illegal sex determination tests

Five tip-offs on PCPNDT helpline

Within two days of inauguration, helpline to fight female foeticide gets info from anonymous callers on illegal sex determination tests

In the couple of days since its inauguration, a helpline started by the state government has already received five tip-offs from anonymous callers on clinics suspected of carrying out illegal sex determination tests.
The helpline inaugurated on World Population Day, which was on July 11, is meant to fight female foeticide.

Welcome calls: Callers to the helpline gave information on hospitals
and clinics conducting sonography to know the sex of child Representation
pic

There has been a statewide crackdown on sonography and abortion clinics found violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act in recent days, after the discovery of nine female foetuses in a drain in Beed district. As this incident came on the heels of a recent Census report that showed the sex ratio had worsened in state in the last decade, the crackdown became all the more urgent.

MiD DAY called up the helpline yesterday afternoon, when a woman answered the phone and said no calls had been received that day. "On Tuesday, the first call came around 10.30 am. The callers gave tip-offs about hospitals and clinics conducting sonography to know the sex of the child while one caller gave specific details about a doctor who he claimed did such tests only if the patient was referred by someone known to him. Three calls were from Pune and two were from Nashik and Sangli districts," said the woman.

A complaint also came in about a government doctor who helped do sex-selective abortions. Dr Suresh Gupta, additional director of the Family Welfare Department, said that raids would be conducted by respective district offices at the clinics and hospitals that were pointed out by informants.

Website yet to start
The promised website, www.aamchimulgi.com, to fight female foeticide is yet to start. Dr Suresh Gupta, additional director of the Family Welfare Department, said the website has run into some technical issues and that it would start from August 1.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels