Mangaluru: Scanning centres must verify patient ID, warns District Health Officer

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 24, 2025: District Health Officer Dr. H.R. Thimmaiah has warned that scanning centres must mandatorily obtain the patient’s identity proof before conducting scans, failing which strict action will be taken against such centres.

He was speaking at the district-level advisory committee meeting held on Tuesday regarding the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994. He stressed that identity cards must be properly verified, and inspections will be conducted at scanning centres. Reports must be signed only by specialist doctors, not by staff members, he added.

 

He further noted that instances of abortion pills being sold in medical stores without valid prescriptions will be checked, and joint operations will be carried out with the Drug Control Department.

The meeting also decided to hold awareness programmes in November and December across colleges in Dakshina Kannada by organizing various competitions for students about the PCPNDT Act.

Currently, 189 scanning centres are operating in the district, including 12 government and 177 private centres. In 2024–25, a total of 12,540 male and 11,758 female children were born, with a sex ratio of 938 females per 1,000 males.

A special team has been formed to inspect scanning centres. Between April and August 2025, inspections were conducted in 274 private medical facilities and 15 scanning centres in the district.

The meeting was chaired by District Advisory Committee President Dr. Amrutha Bhandari. Members Dr. Sundari, Rani Mangala, Anith Raj Bhatt, Dr. Deepa Prabhu, Chandrahass, Vasanth Peraje, Dr. Nanjesh Kumar, and B.A. Khader Shah were present.