Journalism of Courage
A court here on Sunday acquitted four Ruby Hall Clinic doctors in a case of using sonography machines without registration. They include managing trustee of Ruby Hall Clinic Dr Parvez Grant, Dr Sujata Malik, Dr Chandrashekar Makhale and Dr Bomi Bhote.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court number III SSR Nimse passed the order, acquitting the doctors in a complaint filed against them under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act by the chief medical officer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The complaint against the doctors had said two unregistered sonography machines from Ruby Hall Clinic were used for sex determination. The two machines were purchased in 2002 and 2004.
The machines were installed in Cath Lab and Cardiac Operation Theatre. They were not named in the certificate of registration of the clinic issued under the PCPNDT Act as allegedly, they were not capable of doing gynaecological procedures.
Advocate Hemant Chavan and advocate Sagar Kothari, on behalf of the hospital said the two machines did not have the capability of carrying out sex determination of foetuses and did not have the probe for sex determination.
The JMFC court upheld the contention and acquitted the doctors.
