Radiologists’ strike hits patients
Patients requiring ultrasound, CT scan and MRI faced a lot of trouble on Thursday as radiologists remained on strike. Ultrasound services will remain suspended on Friday as well.
The strike was called by the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) against provisions of the Pre Conception Pre Natal Diagnostic Test (PCPNDT) Act, specially the provisions for punishment for incomplete Form-F that is filled up for each pregnant woman undergoing ultrasound.
“For every mistake in filling up the Form-F a doctor is held guilty as if he or she did sex determination of the foetus,” said Dr PK Srivastav, former member of the district advisory committee on PCPNDT.
Pointing out the faults that draw penal action, Dr SS Sarkar, member, IRIA said clerical errors in Form F, not wearing of apron while doing ultrasound, not displaying notice board, not keeping hand book on PC PNDT Act should not be equated with sex determination.
IRIA member also met district administration officials and handed over a memorandum mentioning their demands. The strike is affecting private diagnostic centres and not government and corporate hospitals.
However, voluntary organisations have termed the strike as a criminal offence. “The data says 878 girls are born against 1000 boys in Uttar Pradesh, hence we need more stringent laws to curb sex selection and abortion, while the IRIA is demanding that the penalties be relaxed,” said Dr Neelam Singh, head of an NGO Vatsalya.
Renu Mishra of AALI pointed out that closing down ultrasound and CT scan centres was an offence as patients would be deprived of necessary medical tests. “Amendment in PCPNDT will defeat the very purpose of government scheme Beti Bachao Beti Padhao,” she said.
The activists said that approximately 1.33 lakh girls were short as compared to boys between the age of 0 to 25 years in Lucknow while the figure for Bagpat was 68,000. In such a situation, relaxation in laws against sex selection would spur malpractices in society.
The data says 878 girls are born against 1,000 boys in Uttar Pradesh, hence we need more stringent laws to curb sex selection and abortion, while the IRIA is demanding that the penalties be relaxed DR NEELAM SINGH, head of an NGO Vatsalya