Exclusive: Maharashtra government's Silent Observer can do little to save girl child

The Maharashtra government’s Silent Observer in Kolhapur has failed to have any significant impact on the district’s sex ratio, says a high-level committee report.

Silent Observer (SIOB), similar to a pen drive, is attached to a sonography machine to monitor ultrasound tests and record sonography images. The government introduced it in Kolhapur in March 2010 on an experimental basis to prevent sex determination tests as part of its “save the girl child” mission. The district had one of the worst male-to-female birth ratios according to the 2011 Census — for every 1,000 boys born in the area, only 845 girls were born.

But the report (DNA has a copy of it) says SIOB is “useless” as it can be easily detached from a sonography machine. The committee, headed by Dr PP Doke, was formed within six months of installing SIOB in all the 243 registered sonography machines in Kolhapur. Though the committee submitted its report on the success rate of SIOB to the health ministry five months ago, it is still to be made public. 

“SIOB can be detached from a sonography machine and it
happened in Kolhapur too,” a member of the committee said. “SIOB images are not monitored regularly. Radiologists do not bother to change the names of patients while carrying out illegal sonography.”  

Dr Jignesh Thakker, Maharashtra head of Radiological and Imaging Association, said they had pointed out the flaws of SIOB right at the beginning. “Sex determination tests can be done easily even with SIOB attached to machines,” Thakker said. “One just needs to remove a thin tape seal and carry on. There will be no records. Our counsel had requested the Bombay high court to make the committee’s report public. But the court had rejected our plea.”

Even radiologists from across the state have been pointing out the futility of installing SIOB because of its vulnerability. But the high court in its August 27 order upheld the Kolhapur district collector’s decision to make it mandatory for all sonography centres to have silent observers installed in their machines.

Experts say the court decision might have been different if the government had made the report public. The court might have even pulled up the government, an expert said. He said the government is bothered with only registered centres (a little over 8,000) whereas unregistered ones (number could be anywhere between 25,000 and 40,000) go scot-free.

If government is serious about saving the girl child, it should ban portable USG machines, monitor abortion centres and the sale of abortion pills, Thakker said. “Today, your neighbourhood paanwaala too can start a sonography centre. Only radiologists, gynaecologists or MBBS doctors should be allowed and that too after 18 months training.”

Installing silent observers only benefit private manufacturers as it costs about Rs30,000, a radiologist said. “If SIOB were to be installed in all machines across the state, the government would end up spending a lot unnecessarily because it can hardly prevent sex determination tests.”

Varsha Deshpande, an advocate and activist from Satara, said the government was wasting public money on SIOB at the behest of the Kolhapur collector. “The government just wants to show that it is trying to do something against female foeticide.”

Another radiologist Dr Ambarish Dalal said the chief minister has no reason to be lenient but the government should not go on a witch-hunt. Unnecessarily targeting USG centres and sealing machines for petty mistakes can increase neonatal and maternal mortality rates. “A sonography machine is used for several purposes such as obstetrics,” he said.