Saving the girl child took centre stage in 2011 in Pune

With 127 girls missing for every 1,000 boys born, Census 2011 showed an alarming decline in female sex ratio for Pune city. The statistics came as a jolt to the health department, especially because the city’s child sex ratio was steadily deteriorating.

In Census 2001, the figure stood at 902, 29 points better as compared to the latest census.

The entire government machinery swung into damage control mode and what followed was a year of long-sustained campaign on female foeticide.

Websites were launched and helplines were announced to report illegal activities. While NGOs and civil society members started attacking the government through RTI queries, spot reports kept officials on their toes.

Finally, the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, was being taken seriously. Or at least the mood in government offices seemed to suggest so.

Here’s what transpired in Pune in roughly 6 months — 16 cases were registered against doctors for flouting the PCPNDT Act, 15 ultrasound machines were sealed, all ultrasound clinics were monitored every month and 100 centres were issued notices for not sending periodic reports of their
activities.

The atmosphere of fear against flouting the PCPNDT Act was strengthened by multiple convictions that took place, with errant doctors being awarded jail terms for the first time.

While the news of a Satara-based doctor being awarded the highest punishment under the PCPNDT Act, i.e. 3 years in prison, caused waves in the medical community, the conviction of a Pune-based radiologist came as another shock.

Dr Mohan Nagane, a radiologist at the government-run Aundh General Hospital, was also a member of the district PCPNDT Committee meant to oversee the implementation of the Act.

Guilty of sex determination, he was caught in a sting operation by the NGO, All India Democratic Women’s Association, and sentenced to 2 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The role of NGOs was especially commendable with several sting operations being carried out in the state. Pune’s most prominent sting operation took place at Ranade Hospital. Gynaecologist Makrand Ranade was caught red-handed in a sting operation asking for Rs9,000 to conduct a sex-determination test.

Dr Ranade took the cash from a decoy couple and sent them to Namit Sonography Centre run by Dr Nina Mathrani, where the test was conducted. Both the clinics and machines were sealed and the cases are pending in court.

New wing at Kamala Nehru Hospital
While the crackdown on illegal sex-determination tests remained the focus of health authorities, many other important developments took place.

The civic body spent Rs55 crore to set up a new building at Kamala Nehru Hospital. The new wing is equipped with latest medical facilities, and the services are available at an affordable cost as compared to any other private hospital. The total capacity of the hospital is now increased to 450 beds.

Disease surveillance at Naidu Hospital
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-run Naidu Hospital for Infectious Diseases announced setting up a disease surveillance centre, to be linked to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The centre would help in collating and analysing the data collected from private and government hospitals in the city. The data from surveillance centre was to be linked to WHO, where all outbreaks and epidemics would be analysed.