State govt, medical council begin crackdown on docs

After the arrests of two Beed-based doctors for allegedly conducting sex-selective abortions, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and the state government have decided to crackdown on such medical practioners.

After the arrests of two Beed-based doctors for allegedly conducting sex-selective abortions, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and the state government have decided to crackdown on such medical practioners.

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Maharashtra chief secretary Jayant Banthia, on Monday, held a videoconference meeting with the district magistrates and police superintendents of Beed, Latur, and Solapur districts to find out the measures taken by them to stop sex-selective abortions.

Banthia stressed on timely reporting of such cases and instructed the officials to form teams that would visit and inspect all maternity homes. The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been instructed to supervise the disbursal of abortion pills.

“In one case, the doctor couple has been granted bail, but we have asked our officials in Beed to challenge the bail,” said Suresh Shetty, state health minister.

Meanwhile, MMC has issued show-cause notices to 31 doctors, including two from Mumbai, after they were booked under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The doctors have been given 15 days’ time to reply on why their licences should not be cancelled.