Chief medical officers asked to come up with micro plan to improve sex ratio in J&K

Jammu, Mar 15 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed chief medical officers (CMOs) to come up with a micro plan to improve the sex ratio in the Union Territory.

The directions were passed by Secretary Health and Medical Education Bhupinder Kumar at a meeting convened to review the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (prohibition of sex selection) Act, an official spokesman said.

Kumar said gender bias and sex determination is a critical public health concern which can be regulated through effective implementation of the PCPNDT Act for which a comprehensive action strategy needs to be devised and monitored.

Instructing the directorates of health services in both divisions of Jammu and Kashmir to conduct an assessment of all the registered ultrasound clinics for their conformity to the PCPNDT Act, he said it must be ensured that all the provisions of the Act are strictly implemented in letter and spirit.

Kumar asked the CMOs to consider cancellation of those entities which are found deficient in terms of any provision of the Act.

Director health services and CMOs were also asked to study the last five years of HMIS (Health Management Information System) data for district-wise trend analysis of sex ratio at birth, the spokesman said.

They were also asked to introspect and come up with a micro plan to improve the sex ratio, he said.

He said director health services were asked to furnish comprehensive proposals to the administrative department in consultation with Mission Director, National Health Mission, with regard to constitution of appropriate authority and appellate authority as per the PCPNDT Act.

Kumar also directed the concerned to ensure that unique identification AB-HFR (Ayushmaan Bharat-Healthcare Facility Registry) and AB-HPR (Healthcare Professionals Registry) is created for all the ultrasound clinics and medical professionals (sonologists) handling the ultrasound equipment in Jammu and Kashmir under the Ayushmaan Bharat Digital Mission in a time-bound manner.