PNDT Act being observed in breach or at whims?

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Oct 13: Notwithstanding the hype created over strict implementation of PNDT Act by the state government, majority of its provisions are either being observed at the whims of helmsmen or in breach.
As per the Act, “to uphold the standard quality of USG clinics, the registration is given to those ultra-sound clinics/centres which have either a well qualified radiologist performing these investigations, possessing DMRD or MD or DNB in Radiology, or an MBBS doctor having sufficient experience and having undergone training in ultra-sonography.” (Page No 28 (3b) para 1)
Yet the statistics vis-à-vis the availability of radiologists and the clinics/centres registered under PNDT Act in the Valley are a pointer towards a mismatch between the words and the deeds of the helmsmen.
The entire valley has 43 clinics/ centres registered under the Act.
While the number of total Radiologists available there is only 41. Even out of them, five are working out of the state. Twenty three Radiologists are posted at Sher-e Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura and Bemina and private practice has been banned for SKIMS doctors. The remaining 13 Radiologists, posted at SMHS and other state-run hospitals, are doing ultra sonography.
Besides government hospitals, these radiologists are working in the private clinics as well. Though this is not allowed under the Act yet to meet the shortage of radiologists or other competent persons to do the job, through a circular of Directorate Health Services Kashmir the private practice has been allowed within the area specified, (18 kms for MBBS doctors and 10 kms for specialists).
Yet in this case also the rules have been brazenly violated by those `registered’ clinics/centres.
This also raises question as why some clinics/centres have been allowed to operate despite the fact that they too don’t fit the bill under PNDT Act for violation of its different provisions while others have been denied the same `privilege’ for inexplicable reasons.
However when this question is raised by those who have been denied the registration, the official response is that even their (43 clinics/centres’) registration is under review. This ‘review’ is on for the past three years.
“The officials say that USG should be performed by a Radiologist. How come it is possible since we have only 36 Radiologists in the valley and there are more than 250 USG clinics across the valley?” asks President Private Diagnostic Centre Association (PDCA), Umar.
This is also interesting to note that in government hospitals USG is performed by sonologists. The double yardsticks even on this account are inexplicable.
He said that in 2006 Directorate of Health Services had given registration to all doctors, who were running diagnostic centre in the valley, under Nursing Act.
“The doctors, who were given registrations under Nursing Act to perform USG, have now been banned to perform the test,” he said, adding that prior to 2006 not a single clinic was registered under any act “although Nursing Act dates back to 1963.”
Umar claimed that Sonology was not essentially the job of Radiologist.
“Radiologist is only meant for radio diagnosis. It is the Sonologist who is trained for performing USG,” he said, adding that in Police Hospital Srinagar it is the “Sonographer” who conducts USG.
Pertinently, there are about 250 USG clinics and of them 198 were registered under Nursing Act in 2006.
“These clinics can not be run by a handful of Radiologists,” Umar said.
Referring to the diagnostic equipments available in private sector, Umar said that Kashmir has only two nuclear medicine machines: One each in private clinic and public sector.
“There are seven Dexa scanners in private clinics and only one is in government sector. Similarly, 125 Digital X-ray plants are in private sector while government has only one at SKIMS,” he said. “Seven CT Scanners are in private clinics and four in government hospitals. MRI is done at five private clinics while the scan is done at four state-run hospitals in the valley.”
He said that since 2009 his Association had been urging the state government to register USG clinics under PNDT Act.
“We made the initiative, pleading the government to register our clinics under PNDT Act, but the government paid no heed to our frequent pleas,” he said. “Then it (government) dramatically sealed 200 USG clinics in the valley.”
Umar said that the “illegal” closure of USG clinics has made the matters worse for the proprietors.
“Twenty proprietors have become defaulters for failing to pay back the loan to banks. Most of us have sold gold to start USG units, but who cares!” he said.
He said that in order to implement PNDT Act in the valley, the government should take into confidence Private Diagnostic Centre Association.