Voluntary organisations oppose strike by IRIA

LUCKNOW: Terming the strike called by Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) as a criminal offence, members of voluntary groups at a press conference on Wednesday said amendment in the PCPNDT Act would give way to ambiguity.

The volunteers have demanded that there be no amendment or relaxation in PCPNDT Act as being demanded by IRIA in order to improve sex ratio.

IRIA has called for one-day strike of all radiology services such as x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI on Thursday, while from September 2 onwards all ultrasound centres would remain closed as part of the nationwide strike.

“The sex ratio data says 878 girls are born against 1,000 boys in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, we need more stringent laws to curb practice of sex selection and abortion. However, the members of IRIA are demanding penalties to be relaxed,” said Dr Neelam Singh, head of an NGO Vatsalya.

She was supported by Renu Mishra of AALI (Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives) who pointed out that even closing down ultrasound and CT scan centres is an offence as patients would be deprived of necessary medical tests. “Amendment in PCPNDT Act will defeat the very purpose of government scheme ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’,” said Mishra.

The volunteers said that there is shortage of approximately 1.33 lakh girls as compared to boys between the age of 0 to 25 years in Lucknow while the figure for Bagpat is 68,000. In such a situation, relaxation in laws against sex selection would provoke wrong deeds in the society, they opined.

Refuting statement made by IRIA office bearers that there is equal punishment for all types of mistakes and even for clerical work in forms, DR Singh said as the forms were being filled by a doctor there could be no fault.

“They make no mistake while writing prescription then why should they make any mistake in filling up an important form-F which is needed after ultrasound of pregnant women,” she said.

Form-F is filled by doctor for each pregnant women undergoing ultrasound.

“The IRIA is demanding that any fault regarding filling up form-F be kept under civil laws and not criminal laws. The fact is via sex selective abortions you kill somebody in the womb and hence it is a criminal offence,” said Renu Mishra.