Resolution of Pune OG socitey on PNDT

[FOGSI PCPNDT]

Dear all,
As I had informed in my previous mail on the subject, the Pune Obst
and Gynaecological society has passed the resolution which is send
herewith.
The resolution aims at strengthening the arms of FOGSI and giving a
mandate that apart from the advocacy time has come to step out and use
all other options to fight the injustice in this regard.
Please get such a resolution passed in your individual society so that
we can request that the matter be taken up on agenda during the
managing committee meeting of FOGSI in Sept 2009 and if passed FOGSI
too could adopt the resolution.
Reagrds,
Dr Dilip Walke
Chairman, Ethics and Medicolegal Committee, FOGSI

PREAMBLE TO RESOLUTION
“Several members of Pune Obstetrics and Gynecological society have
been victims of harassment at the hands of PNDT officials due to its
faulty implementation. We are also aware of a similar situation all
over the country. One of our members succumbed to a severe myocardial
infarction while PNDT officials raided his clinic. We know of another
incident elsewhere in the country where a doctor committed suicide in
the courtroom itself while she was being tried under the Act”.
We have identified following areas of problems for which our members
have approached us verbally and at times in writing.

The PNDT officials in Pune have refused to accept application for
sonography clinic made by one of our members, Dr Ashwini Margale on
the pretext that in spite of the fact that she has a PG degree DNB, in
Ob Gyn, she does not have a six months training certificate from the
Radiology department of a teaching institute. This has caused her a
lot of distress; her career (especially as an Infertologist with the
need to carry follicular monitoring on her patients) is at stake. The
fate of other young members of our society, who will face similar
situation, will also be affected. It is also a known fact that members
all over the country are facing rejection from PNDT officials when
they are applying for renewal of license.

2. PNDT officials are awarding severe
punishments (like sealing of USG machines, cancellation of license,
criminal proceedings etc) for minor lapses in the documentation and
other stringent requirements of the act. While we understand that
FOGSI cannot and should not support members faulting in documentation,
but we do feel that,
a. An effort should be made for a legal provision for “graded”
punishment for minor lapses in the documentation (not amounting to
performing sex selection or feticides by default)
b. A protest should be made against the humiliating treatment
that our members are receiving at the hands of PNDT officials during
raid and sting operations
c. An effort be made for legal provision of and strict
implementation of proper code of conduct of the PNDT officials and
NGO’s conducting sting operation.
3. We strongly feel that our Federation should formulate a brief
document on FOGSI stand on our problems vis-à-vis the PNDT act and our
suggestions for amendments and proper implementation. There could be a
liason member or a committee of FOGSI empowered to deal with officials
of PNDT. The document can be distributed to all our members across the
country to be used for lobbying (with politicians, media personals,
PNDT officials) for our demands. This will ensure that each member of
FOGSI (from different and far way places) speaks with the same voice
especially while dealing with the media. The idea of such a document
came up when some of our office bearers met a local MP ( Mr Suresh
Kalmadi) regarding the PNDT issue and he suggested that official
document of the federation will carry more weight in the parliament.


RESOLUTION
Resolved that,
If registration of our member for sonography clinic is rejected or
renewal is denied by PNDT officials on the ground that Gynaecologist
with PG degree or diploma in Ob Gyn are not allowed to perform
sonography until they produce an experience certificate of 6 months in
sonography from a radiology department of a teaching institute, then
our national federation (FOGSI) be asked to become a petitioner or co-
petitioner to help our member fight this injustice. We all strongly
feel that a Gynaecologist undergoes training in sonography during the
period of his or her post graduation and therefore does not require
any other certification than which the university grants with the post
graduate qualification.
FOGSI be authorized to discuss ways to oppose the humiliation that our
members have to face when central authorities raid their center for
review or when sting operations are conducted.
A written document on FOGSIs stand on PNDT act (the problems our
members face and the suggested remedies) be formulated for nation wide
distribution


Dr Sanjeev
Khurd
Dr Mukta Umarji
President
General Secretary
POGS
POGS