Mumbai: Concerned over "dwindling" ratio
of girl child in the state, Maharashtra government has decided
to restrict sale of abortion pills and act against sex
determination tests.
"We are ensuring that abortion pills should not be
sold without medical prescription. The pills would be included
in the Schedule X drugs," Health Minister Suresh Shetty said
in the Legislative Council.
Shetty said a state-level committee, headed by the
Medical Education Secretary Milind Mhaiskar, has mooted curbs
on the sale of abortion pills in the wake of "declining" girl
child ratio.
On efforts to prevent selective abortions and sex
determination tests, Shetty said besides sonography, there are
techniques like blood tests and biopsy to determine the sex of
the foetus. These new techniques need to be brought under the
scanner, he said.
There is also a strong opposition from women activists
to prevent abortions, he said.
"The government needs to consider various opinions
from all sections of the society before taking a decision,"
the minister said.
Terming the girl child infanticide as a social evil,
the Minister of State for Health, Fauzia Khan said a website
www.aamachimulagi.com would be launched from May 1 to register
complaints about sex determination tests.
Efforts would be made to track pregnant women with help of
of the government hospitals to know about sex determination
tests and infanticide, she said.
The issue was raised by an MLC Keshav Mankar who
wanted to know about the efforts being undertaken by the state
government to put a tab on the sex determination tests and
female infanticide.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 18, 2011, 21:31