TN govt intensifies crackdown on illegal foetal sex determination centres

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine recently issued a circular to all District Health Officers (DHOs), instructing them to conduct surprise inspections at a minimum of three scan centres each month.

The objective is to curb the unlawful practice of prenatal sex determination and enforce the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act more effectively. The circular, issued in the first week of April, also mandates that DHOs, in coordination with the Joint Director of Health Services (JDHS), must visit all scan centres in their Health Unit Districts (HUD) and submit detailed inspection reports to the Directorate by the 6th of every month.

“In recent days, sex-selective abortions, particularly targeting female foetuses, have been reported from various parts of the state,” stated Dr T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. “To strengthen enforcement of the PCPNDT Act, DHOs must conduct surprise inspections at a minimum of three scan centres each month.”

However, health officials on the ground say the effectiveness of these measures hinges on empowering DHOs. As per Section 17(2) of the PCPNDT Act, appropriate authorities must be appointed by gazette notification. Currently, DHOs are not officially part of the District-Level or Sub-District-Level Advisory Committees, which limits their ability to act independently.

The latest circular follows a major bust on February 26, 2025, when a joint operation involving health officials and police unearthed an illegal sex determination network spanning the Salem and Krishnagiri districts.

Six individuals, including a government doctor and a nurse, were arrested. The operation was launched based on a tip-off received by Krishnagiri District Collector S. Dinesh Kumar. A covert team, including City Health Officer Dr G. Ramesh Kumar and Kelamangalam Block Medical Officer Dr C. Rajesh Kumar, set up a sting operation. Two doctors posing as a couple seeking fetal sex determination approached Gautham, 34, of Rayakottai. Gautham directed them to Sagaya Mary, 48, from Tirupathur, but due to identification issues, the decoy couple was redirected to Salem district.

There, they met intermediaries Sangeetha, 38, from Dharmapuri, and Ambika, 45, from Salem. These touts took them to nurse Kalaimani, 48, at the Primary Health Centre in Thedavur. Eventually, the couple was brought to the Pasupathy Scan Centre in Veeranam, where they met Dr Muthamil, 45, from Achankuttapatty PHC.

After confirming the illicit procedures, authorities arrested all six involved, including Dr Muthamil and nurse Kalaimani. An ultrasound machine used for sex determination was seized.

Investigations revealed that Dr Muthamil charged Rs 15,000 per procedure. All six have been remanded to judicial custody. Despite the stringent provisions of the PCPNDT Act, 1994 -- which prohibits sex selection before or after conception and regulates the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques -- enforcement remains a challenge. Violations can lead to fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

The February case is not isolated. In August 2024, officials in Dharmapuri busted another illegal racket where prenatal sex determination was being conducted in a residential property without authorisation.

Experts say that such persistent illegal practices reflect deep-rooted cultural biases favouring male children, contributing to declining female sex ratios and long-term social consequences. As the Health Department tightens surveillance and enforcement mechanisms, calls are growing louder to empower DHOs through formal inclusion in advisory bodies and independent policing authority to ensure that the crackdown is not just symbolic but truly effective.