Karnal: Notices to 19 for delay in reporting pregnancy

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, FEBRUARY 5

To ensure the health and safety of unborn children and expectant women, the Health Department has issued notices on 19 persons for delays in early registration of pregnancies.

The authorities claim this step is aimed at closely monitoring each and every pregnancy to ensure the overall well-being of both the mother and the unborn child.

“The monitoring of pregnancy helps the department in preventing and addressing the sex determination as well as female foeticide activities. We have observed that 19 pregnant women or their family members have not reported about the pregnancy to the department, after which we have issued show-cause notices to them, and sought a reply in 15 days, failing which legal action will be taken against them,” said Dr Sheenu Chaudhary, Deputy Civil Surgeon, PNDT and Family Welfare.

She said the early registration of every pregnancy was mandatory. Expectant women or their family members were required to promptly report the pregnancy to the department in the first trimester, so that the department could monitor the health of both the woman and the child in her womb.

“The early registration plays a vital role in ensuring the proper antenatal care for pregnant women, which further contributes in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates,” said Dr Sheenu.

Dr Krishan Kumar, Civil Surgeon, Karnal, said under the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP)”, the Health Department was monitoring 39 villages having sex ratio below 800. Medical Officers (MOs) had been appointed in these villages to monitor each and every pregnancy.

“We are holding meetings with people to make them aware about the early reporting of each and every pregnancy. People can share information regarding sex determination and female foeticide in his office,

Dr Kumar said last year, the district witnessed a surge of five points in the sex ratio in comparison to 2022. The sex ratio for 2023 was 908 against the 903 of 2022. “We are monitoring the ultrasound centres and also conducting raids on the information of sex determination or female foeticide,” said Dr Kumar.

He also appealed to expectant women and their families for early registration of each and every pregnancy.

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