Move to check sex determination tests

Dr P. S. Jassi, who has been appointed the State Appropriate Authority by the government for effective implementation of both these Acts, told ENS that the state had a male and female ratio of 1000:882 respectively. For every 1,000 males, the number of females in Amritsar, Bathinda and Faridkot was 861, 863 and 865 respectively.

While expressing deep concern over the disturbing sex ratio in the state, Dr Jassi asked members of the committee to mobilise public opinion against the misuse of prenatal determination test facilities which were originally meant for genetic counselling and protection of both the mother and child.

He announced that a system for prosecuting violators of the statutes had been evolved and a campaign would be launched to get the guilty punished.

The committee, which consists of gynaecologists, child specialists, mediapersons and social activists, will launch a series of awareness campaigns in the state from next month to raise the social status of the girl child.

Under the Acts, it is illegal to use prenatal diagnostic techniques like ultra sonography to determine and reveal the sex of an unborn child (foetus) from January 1, 1996. The use of prenatal diagnostic techniques is allowed only for detecting certain abnormalities subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions mentioned in the Act.

Also, prenatal diagnostic techniques can be conducted and genetic counselling can be offered only by genetic clinics, genetic laboratories and genetic counselling centres registered under the Act.

Interesting, there are nearly 1,000 clinics in the state with prenatal diagnostic test facilities which are running illegally and violating the Acts.