Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for Health and Family Welfare, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, has issued a stern directive to officials of the Health Department to conduct thorough inspections of all MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) and Ultrasound Centres within this week. Stringent action will be taken against any centres found violating health authority norms, with non-compliance treated as an immediate violation.
He also instructed that if any doctor is found involved in malpractices at these centres, the Health Department must notify the Haryana Medical Council for the immediate cancellation of their medical registration. In a review meeting with the officers of the Health and Women & Child Welfare Departments here today, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal made it clear that those involved in illegal practices, particularly sex determination and gender-based discrimination, will face severe consequences.
"Our priority is to ensure a balanced gender ratio in Haryana, and we are on track with the success of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) program. Anyone found violating these crucial norms, especially in malpractices such as sex determination, will not be spared," he added. Further tightening the controls, the ACS ordered the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to track and analyze all abortion cases and maintain a close watch on MTP centres to prevent any unethical practices.
He said that all ultrasound machines must have functional trackers that send SMS alerts to health authorities if sex-determination tests are performed. In addition, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal suggested exploring the possibility of providing Rs. 100 incentive to pregnant women who will do self-registration on the State portal, an initiative currently under consideration.
It was informed in the meeting that Haryana has successfully improved its sex ratio at birth by taking strict punitive actions against sex-selective abortion, providing counselling to parents and families, closely tracking pregnancies, and running awareness campaigns aimed at changing societal perceptions about the value of girls.
This meeting was attended by DGHS Dr Manish Bansal, Director PNDT Dr Simmi, Chief Medical Officer, Panchkula, Dr. Mukta Kumar, along with other senior officers from the Health and WCD Departments.