Health dept to closely monitor 62K pregnant women

Officials said that already the health department has identified 62,000 pregnant women who already have one or more than one female child.

Nearly 500 villages in Haryana where the sex ratio at birth (SRB) is estimated below 700 female births per 1,000 male and the pregnant women across the state will be under health department’s radar which on Tuesday decided to hold Beti Bachao Beti Padaho camps in villages notorious for alarmingly low SRB.

These pregnant women are being informed via helpline number 104 of health department that female foeticide is a crime. (HT File)

Officials said that already the health department has identified 62,000 pregnant women who already have one or more than one female child. These pregnant women are being informed via helpline number 104 of health department that female foeticide is a crime.

The State Task Force (STF), set up to take steps to deal with a host of identified issues which are at the core of the dip in the SRB, met here under the chairmanship of Haryana’s additional chief secretary (ACS- health and family welfare) Sudhir Rajpal and reviewed the progress regarding the decisions taken in the previous meeting.

Sources say the camps will be held on April 25 in villages with SRB below 700. The senior doctors posted in the office of director general of health services (DGHS) will attend these camps in the allocated district and cover at least two villages. The camps will be organised by the senior medical officer (SMO) of the community health center concerned.

“It was decided that all the CMOs will monitor the sale of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits in their districts,” a member of the STF said.

All the officers of the state drug controller office posted at the state headquarters will go on field visits from next week and take steps to prevent unauthorised and illegal sale of MTP kits.

The department has decided that ASHA workers will be linked with the pregnant women having more than two female children. An incentive of ₹1,000 will be given to concerned ASHA workers for successful delivery of female child.

Sources say during the Tuesday’s meeting of the STF, it was decided to act against ANM and Aangwadi workers for maternal death on April 1 in Baghwali village under the PHC Hangola.

The police department representative apprised the ACS (health) that the health department’s proposal to set up a dedicated police cell headed by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in each district to deal with female foeticide related matters is in final stage and that it will be implemented within this week after approval of director general of police.