Delhi govt cracks the whip against female foeticide

“We found the sex ratio of <g data-gr-id="64">new born</g> babies at several hospitals and nursing homes in the city declining at an alarming rate,” he told reporters.

The sex ratio in the national Capital reached to only 896 females to 1,000 males in 2014, against the 895 females to 1,000 males in 2013, which raised a serious question on the Delhi government’s monitoring systems for preventing female foeticide in Delhi.

This shocking revelation comes from the Delhi government’s birth and death registration report for 2014 presented on Thursday. Satyendra Jain said that it was a surprising report of the sex ratio and issued notices to all hospitals and nursing homes whose girl child birth records were found below 800.

Jain, however, refused to reveal the names of the health institutions but said that there are many hospitals and nursing homes whose reports on sex ratio were suspicious. Jain said: “Delhi government has taken a serious note of it and has decided to order an inquiry on the report. Notices have been issued to all those hospitals and nursing homes whose girl child birth rate was found below 800.”

The Delhi government’s report revealed that one health institution’s report was shocking as it has recorded as low as 300 girls taking birth. There are as many as seven health institutions where the girl child birth was below 500 while in 40 the birth rates were found blow 700. There were only 39 health intuitions that could touch the girl child birth rate between 700 and 800.

Jain, in the <g data-gr-id="89">notices</g> has asked serious questions like — Whether the institutions are registered with the nursing home cell, DHS? Whether they are providing MTP facility? Whether they are registered under the MTP, PC & PNDT Acts? “Serious action will be taken by the state government against all those found guilty. We are committed to <g data-gr-id="86">eradicate</g> this long-prevailing social menace of female foeticide,” Jain said.

It is a well-known fact that the significant gap between the number of males and females in the city points towards the widespread female foeticide being practiced in the national Capital.

Knowing this fact, the Delhi government has directed the Health department to remove all misgivings among expecting parents about a girl child and has also directed awareness campaigns on the benefits of having a girl child. Also, cracking a whip on illegal sex determination tests being performed in the national Capital, the Delhi government on August had announced Rs one lakh cash reward to those providing such information.