KL Report
SRINAGAR
Private diagnostic centers association Kashmir while castigating the authorities for sealing their clinics without any ‘solid reasons’, Wednesday termed the move as the ‘government harassment to the private sector’.
Talking to a local news agency, KNS, the president of the association Umer Iqbal said that the news recently was circulated that 65 Ultra sound clinics have been sealed by the authorities for the sex determination of the child in the womb. “We ask the authorities to inform us whether the clinics were sealed for the crime of determination of the sex in the womb or it was done because of the registration.”
“It is not true; we have the facts with us that reveal that not even a single case was reported in valley since 2001 but 3 cases were reported at Akhnoor, RS Pora and Narwal in the Jammu region.” Umer further mentioned that the census reveals the fact about the state that the girl population has not decreased and thus it vindicates our claim.
Umer accused that the authorities under National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) spend plethora of funds on the advertisements of ‘Save the girl child’ when even not a single case was reported in valley. “The funds could have been used for the establishment of the drug analytical lab.”
He further stated that the authorities harass the diagnostic centers on the baseless allegations. They say “we should have area of 500 sq.ft but the norms in PNDT act across India mention that only adequate space is needed, why this discrimination is being done with the state?”
Director NHRM, Yashpal Sharma when contacted said that the space required for the diagnostic centre must be 500sq.ft minimum and that the norms cannot be changed. “There must should be the ticket counter, washroom separate for ladies and gents, the space for the drinking water facility,” said Sharma while adding that keeping all the requirements in view, 500 sq.ft is the minimum we can have for a centre.
