Fighting female foeticide via website

JAIPUR: The department of medical, health and family welfare has launched a website to fight female foeticide, where whistleblowers can report about sex selection activities while keeping their identity safe. Principal health secretary B N Sharma spoke about the website in a meeting with the zila pramukhs of the state in Jaipur on Friday.
Sharma said, “Anyone can complain against doctors and sonography centres indulging in sex selection activities.It is not necessary to disclose ones identity. As soon as the complain is registered online, action will be taken against the doctor or the sonography centre.” The state government is worried about the decline in the number of girl children in 0-6 year category against boys. The department has expressed its concern over the rate of conviction in courts and has filed 199 cases against doctors and sonography centres.
But only one doctor’s licence has been suspended. When Sikar zilla pramukh demanded a strict law to stop female foeticide, an official of the department said they have pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques (prohibition of sex selection Act, 1994). It is a powerful Act.
“It is often called a draconian Act. Once a doctor or any sonography centre is accused under the Act, it is very difficult to get out it. But the Act has not been implemented properly in the state. Even though 199 cases have been registered, only one doctor was suspended. I don’t know why our team presenting the case in the court failed to get the accused convicted. In states like Madhya Pradesh, the rate of conviction is higher as compared to Rajasthan.”