Haryana CMOs directed to track abortions of up to 24 weeks of pregnancy to curb 'illegal' practices

Chandigarh, Jul 8 (PTI) Haryana's additional chief secretary (Health) has directed chief medical officers (CMOs) to initiate reverse tracking of abortions conducted up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
     The government aims to identify medical practitioners involved in "illegal" procedures and initiate strict action for them.
     A comprehensive procedure for reverse tracking has already been shared with all CMOs, an official statement said.
     A weekly meeting of the State Task Force (STF) for improving sex ratio in Haryana was held under the chairmanship of Rajpal here on Tuesday.
     The meeting focused on intensifying efforts to curb illegal abortions and further improve the state's sex ratio under the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign.
     The meeting noted the recent improvement in Haryana's sex ratio to 904 till July 7 this year from 903 in the corresponding period last year.
     Rajpal emphasised the need for stringent enforcement against illegal abortions, instructing officials to take strict punitive measures, including revoking the licences of doctors found complicit.
     In one such case, two nursing homes were sealed in Nuh district over illegal abortion practices. Further, all CMOs have been asked to take action against the doctors and quacks engaged in illegal abortion activities and submit a report every week.
     The officials who took part in the meeting informed the additional chief secretary (ACS) that consistent field-level efforts have led to a noticeable rise in birth registration figures for June as compared to May.
     To further strengthen the drive, the ACS directed senior officers to collaborate with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and anganwadi workers to identify and register unregistered children, particularly in slum and low-income areas of Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, and Faridabad.
     The goal is to complete all pending registrations within one month.
     Regarding the regulation of IVF centres, the STF decided that couples with one or two living female children seeking another child through IVF must obtain prior permission from the District Appropriate Authority.
     The meeting was also informed that due to an intensified crackdown on illegal Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) centres, around 500 such centres have been shut down across the state. This has also led to a significant decline in legal MTPs over the past two months.
     The woman and child development department shared that awareness campaigns under the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative are being actively carried out in public parks, and telecom companies are being engaged to disseminate the message through phone alerts.
     Health Secretary and National Health Mission Mission Director Rippudaman Singh Dhillon and senior officers of various departments were present in the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)