The Health Department officials have raided two hospitals in Ernakulam.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Health Department officials have raided two hospitals in Ernakulam for running non-registered foetal scanning centres and filed cases against them under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.
Ernakulam DMO, Dr. Hazeena Mohammed, acted tough following the DC report on December 17 about illegal scanning centres being let off by making them pay a penalty alone without cases being filed due to political pressure.
The latest raids were conducted on Al- Shifa Hospital in Ernakulam and C. K. Pareeth Pillai Memorial Hospital at Pulinjode in Aluva. “We have registered cases against them in the Ernakulam and Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate Courts,” Dr. Hazeena said.
Earlier, the Health Department had shied away from charging a case against the owner of an illegal scanning centre at Perumpadapu, Ernakulam district, from where the Health Department had seized a scanning equipment.
But the owner was let off with a fine of '10, 000. DC had also reported the statement of Dr. Sabu George, the petitioner in the Supreme Court on the PNDT Act, who has been campaigning against female foeticide for three decades.
On Saturday, Dr. Hazeena told DC that she did so as per the advice of the government pleader who is also a member of the district-level committee. “Following DC’s report, Health Secretary Dr. K. Elangovan and Additional Director of Health Services Dr. N. Sreedhar called me. Subsequently, I acted against the illegal scanning centres when even the capital city has shied away from conducting raids,” she said.“At the upcoming DMO’s state conference, I will reveal the mental agony I have been undergoing since the raids,” added Dr. Hazeena.
