Ongole: Surprise checks conducted on scanning centres

Ongole: The additional district medical and health officer Dr B Madhavi Latha and district extension and media officer M Mohan Rao conducted surprise checks on the Nikitha Diagnostic Center, Vatsalya Hospital, Chandamama Hospital, Sri Kartikeya Hospital and inspected the scanning facilities on Tuesday.

They interacted with the patients and pregnant women waiting at the centres and inquired about the gender of the babies. They said that conducting and encouraging gender identification scanning is a criminal offence under the PC&PNDT Act 1994 and said that the male or female child is equal.

They said that about 7.50 lakh girls were being killed through abortions and those involved in the gender identification scanning are punishable with a minimum of 3 years of imprisonment and Rs 10000 fine.