Odisha Health department officials seal four private ultrasound scan units

Berhampur: The Health and Family Welfare Department officials sealed at least four privately run ultrasound scan units in Ganjam district for violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

The ultrasound units have been sealed with the recommendation of the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) on PCPNDT, said additional district medical officer (family welfare) and district's nodal officer on PCPNDT, Sukanti Mishra.

The NIMC along with the state committee and local officials of health and family welfare department raided at least three diagnostic centers in the town yesterday.

"We will apprise to the district collector on the development. The show cause notice will be issued to the center?s owner", she said.

During their inspection, the panel found that one of the diagnostic centre was running the ultrasound machine, despite the expiry of its registration, while another center was conducting ultrasound scan without being referred by appropriate doctors and violating the Act, she said.

The illegal sex determination tests through the device, however, was not reported, sources added

Under the PCPNDT Act, an ultrasound machine gets registered for five years and the registration has to be renewed every five years. However, for the renewal of registration, the applications have to be submitted at least 30 days before the permit expires.

"The ultrasound machines are functioning in the centre, without getting renewal," sources said.

Similarly, the ultrasound scan can't be done without reference to any authorized doctor.

In Ganjam district, as many as 29 registered ultrasound machines are operational in different diagnostic centers and three government hospitals including MKCG Medical College and Hospital, City Hospital, district headquarter hospital here and sub divisional hospital at Bhanjanagar.