A dangerous social aberration afflicting societies in some of the States in the country is assuming serious dimensions. Gender equilibrium is getting imbalanced. The number of females against males is fast decreasing. J&K State is among one of such States. Consequences of this situation will be disastrous if the trend is not controlled. How unfortunate that some parents agree termination of pregnancy through clandestine ways if they come to know that the embryo is of a female child.
Three years ago, a case was brought before the Supreme Court. The verdict in this regard imposed strict ban on sex determination activity in Government or private hospitals, clinics and other medical establishments. It also ordered re-registration of all functional private hospitals and clinics in our State, and even gave some time to these health centres to complete the process of registration. As a result of this order from the Apex Court, the State Health Department took steps to conduct raids and inspection of private clinics/nursing homes etc and ordered closure of many of them as they were found indulging in illegal activity of sex determination or other deficiencies. According to available information as on date total 1530 private nursing homes and clinical establishments/ Labs/ ultrasound units exist in the State. Out of the total, 944 such units exist in Kashmir region while 586 in Jammu region. Out of the number of Jammu establishments 86 including 10 nursing homes are unregistered. Many of them have applied for fresh registration to the Directorate of Health Services concerned but so far their applications have not been disposed off. These unregistered health establishments are running their business unhindered under the pretext of having submitted their applications for registration. The State Health Department has not cared to specify the time within which disposal of fresh registration applications will take place. Indirectly the department has left it to the sweet will of the functionaries to issue registration certificates as and when they are disposed to do so.
Besides, several private clinics/private nursing homes/laboratories and health establishments that had been shut down in pursuance of the order from the Supreme Court, have resumed their usual function and continue the illegal practice of sex determination. In particular, these illegal health establishments in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri are running their usual business unhindered. Not only that, even the doctors and surgeons who are on the pay roll of the Health Department have been reported to be doing part time work in these clandestine health centres. Reports of illegal function of sex determination have been coming in regularly and the authorities are not taking any note of it. Similarly in the case of Kashmir, 50 per cent of private health establishments are reported to be practicing illegally.
How come that health establishments previously ordered to close down are operating again without impunity? It is the joint responsibility of the Health and police departments to check the menace and take strict legal action against them. The matter of grant of registration also needs to be addressed. It is believed that these illegal clinics and health establishments are a source of spreading curse of sex determination. By not putting curbs on them, the Government becomes a party to the illegal activity of sex determination. We are aware that there can be malevolent elements within the Health Department that frustrate the attempts of the government to put a curb on illegal activity of sex determination. These elements have to be identified and dealt with in accordance with the law. Destruction of female foetus is a dire offence both in terms of law and in terms of morality and should be severely punished. Our society cannot allow this to happen, as it is a direct threat to the very fabric that binds us in social relationship. Making distinction between male and female child is a heinous crime against humanity and has to be suppressed lock, stock and barrel. The State Health Department is squarely responsible for ensuring that the law governing medical practices is respected and duly made applicable. No favouritism is to be allowed in granting registration to private medical units and no slackness will be acceptable in ensuring that clinics or nursing
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