Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) Women rights activists and health experts Thursday slammed a device claiming to curb cases of female foeticide by recording sonography tests and monitoring doctors.

‘Silent Observer’, a device attached to a sonography machine, records the name of every patient and carries a photograph of her sonograms to deter those wanting to abort a girl child. A password would ensure that the data would be accessible only to the government.

However, the activists said that the device had proved futile and was a gimmick by the government to cover its own failure in enforcing the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

“The ‘Silent Observer’ doesn’t provide solid proof that can be used in court. Just detection of sex of foetus by a doctor is not a crime in law. It’s the communication of the same to the family, which is punishable,” said activist Varsha Deshpande.

“Doctors use cryptic ways to communicate the results and that can’t be captured by any device,” she added.

The activists refuted claims made by district authorities in Kolhapur in Maharashtra terming the device as a success.

“Promoting this device as the primary way to rein in the malpractice or an alternative to the law, will further undermine the readiness to use the law,” said activist Sabu George.

Accepting the government’s lack of urgency implementing the PCPNDT Act, Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research however said that the device may help to gather evidence against a guilty doctor.

“This device may help to build necessary evidence against the culprit doctors and monitor their practices,” she added.