Heart monitoring machine under scanner

(PCPDNT) CELL ON TUESDAY ARRESTED DR SUSHILA KHINCHI (55) AT JODHPUR FOR USING

CTG MACHINE TO DETERMINE FOETUS SEX

A technical committee was formed to find whether sex of foetus can be determined using Cardiotocography (CTG) machine.

The development comes after the state Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnosis Technique (PCPDNT) cell on Tuesday night arrested Dr Sushila Khinchi (55) at Jodhpur using CTG machine for sex determination.

CTG machine is used for recording foetal heartbeat and to assess wellbeing of foetus. Now, doctors are getting innovative in the field of sex determination by using other machines apart from ultrasound machines, coman monly known as sonography machine.

In August last year, the PCPDNT state advisory committee raised doubt on B-scan machines used for testing eyes at ophthalmology centres can be used in sex determination and it was demanded to bring this machine under the ambit of PCPNDT Act 1994.

A B-Scan machine installed in eye testing centre in a city of Rajasthan was inspected. The machine looks like laptop and works on sonography technique and according to subject expert, this machine can be used for other kinds of probe and sonography scan of other body parts can be done.

Experts have confirmed that through this B-Scan machine, ultrasound of other parts of the body and even 2-D Echo can be done. After this coming to the knowledge, it was raised in the PCPNDT state advisory meeting and suggested to get these machines registered under PCPNDT Act to effective stop misuse of this machine for sex determination.

Naveen Jain, mission director of National Health Mission, told Hindustan Times on Friday, “Looking to the use of CTG machines, a technical committee has been formed to find out whether sex determination can be done through this machine. The six-member committee will use this machine for scanning and will submit their report soon.”

In Rajasthan, there have been many incidents in which people desperate for son were taken for ride and were cheated. Such people were shown sonography recording of foetus on laptops using pen drive on the name of sex determination. A total 63 decoy operations have been done in Rajasthan since 2009 including 12 interstate.