PNDT Update

1. Soon, sex selection may cost a doctor his licence to practice. As per new directions, Union Health Ministry through Medical Council of India is likely to direct all State Medical Councils to identify the doctors convicted till date under the PNDT Act and ensure that their licence to practice is cancelled permanently. So far about 800 court cases against doctors in 17 states have resulted in 55 convictions.
2. A city court of Gurgaon in March convicted five Gurgaon doctors under PNDT Act and ordered rigorous imprisonment of three years with a fine of Rs. 1000 each. The doctors were Dr. J.L.M, Dr. M.S.T, Dr. D.B.L, Dr. P.B.L, and Dr. KSS. They have all been convicted for committing offence under section 23 of PNDT Act. The doctors were caught red-handed on the spot by a decoy team.
3. A high level meeting convened by the Prime Minister’s Office looked into the possibility of making abortion a subject to checks like mandatory counseling and medical advice.

eMedinewS comments: When parents do not want a child, they have options of emergency contraception in the first 72 hours, medical pill abortion upto 8 weeks and surgical abortion upto 12 weeks. In all probabilities, if a decision to terminate the pregnancy is taken after 12 weeks, the parents somehow know the sex of the fetus. Will the Government consider banning an abortion after 12 weeks or making abortion after 12 week more stringent and more monitored? Will the law also consider taking action against the parents. Till now, many doctors have been convicted but not even a single parent has been punished for getting an abortion done.