Meeting held on implementation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act

Feb.19: A meeting was held for implementation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PC-PNDT) in the district. A meeting was held in the chamber of Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer (Family Welfare) here on Friday. Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr.Rehana Begum discussed in detail with the members of the committee on implementation of PC-PNDT Act, 1994 in letter and spirit. The members of the committee underscored the need for creating awareness in a big way on the PC-PNDT Act to stop female foeticides by involving teachers, NGOs and other stakeholders.

A nine-member committee headed by the Joint Director, Health Services as Chairman has been constituted for implementation of the Act. PC-PNDT Act, 1994 enacted by the Parliament is to stop female foeticides and arrest the declining sex ratio in India. The Act bans prenatal sex determination. Every genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory or genetic clinic engaged in counselling or conducting pre-natal diagnostics techniques like in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) with the potential of sex selection (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) before and after conception comes under the purview of the PC-PNDT Act are banned.