District collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar on Thursday inaugurated a zonal-level capacity building programme aimed at enhancing the implementation of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, at a private hotel in the city. He also released the handbook on the Act.
Deputy director (legal) Dr Meenakshi Sundari, CMCH dean Dr A Nirmala, Deputy director (health services) Sumathi, ESIC medical college and hospital dean Dr M Ravindran, city health officer Dr Balusamy, and other officials attended the programme.
Addressing the gathering, the district collector said that the programme was organized by the department of health and family welfare.
“The state’s child sex ratio is improving. In the district, the child sex ratio was 920–930 females per 1000 males for about 3-4 years. But now the ratio has improved, and at present, the child sex ratio stands at 983 females per 1000 males. In the coming years, this ratio must be further improved. All features of this Act must be properly implemented by all hospitals and private scan centres,” he added.
Pointing out that such a programme comes in handy to spread awareness about this Act among the public, he said that doubts regarding the Act must be clarified at the programme.