HC wants Centre involved in hearing on portable ultrasound machines

Seeking the Centre’s involvement in a hearing regarding portable ultrasonography machines, the Bombay high court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Union government.

Seeking the Centre’s involvement in a hearing regarding portable ultrasonography machines, the Bombay high court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Union government.

HT Image

The court was hearing a petition by the Maharashtra chapter of the Radiological and Imaging Association, challenging an instruction by the assistant municipal commissioner (AMC), Dahisar ward, that portable ultrasonography machines should not be moved out of registered centres.

The communication also warned that action will be taken for violation of provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, if portable machines are not found at the registered centre.

Anita Bhaktwani, counsel for the association, said that the AMC had no authority to issue the instruction, as the legislation does not restrict the use of the portable machines.

BMC counsel KR Punjabi, contended that the instructions had been issued to ensure that the machines are not misused for pre-natal sex determination. She said that it would become difficult to keep a check on them if they kept moving from one centre to another.

The court has given the centre till November 15 to respond.