Mysuru: District health authorities have suspended the license of 64 scanning centres that were found to have violated the norms which include disclosing the sex of foetus. Presently there are 244 scanning centres in the district.

Speaking to Newskarnataka Dr R Venkatesh, district health officer said “ District health authorities have taken stringent measures against those found violating scanning centre norms. Action would be taken against the doctors or authorities of scanning centres who were found disclosing the sex of foetus. We would also take action on those who put pressure on doctors to disclose the sex of the babies. PCPNDT cell will meet every two or three months and if there is any complaint about the scanning centres, the cell will investigate and take action”.

Sex Ratio in Mysuru is 961 females for every 1000 male, which is below the national average of 940 as per census 2011.

Once the disclosing of sex ration at scanning centres is tightened up we can definitely improve sex ration of females to about 980 females for every 1000 male babies, Dr Venkatesh said adding that during a pregnancy, three scannings are done at three different stages; first three months to know whether the baby is active, in the second trimester that is between three to six months scanning is done to know growth of a baby, while the third and final trimester scanning is done to know the weight and position of a baby. During each scanning process, both doctor and the patients will sign Form F indicating that they have not disclosed the sex or asked for the sex of a fetus.