Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Sep 24: District health officer (DHO) Dr H R Thimmaiah has warned that scanning centres must compulsorily collect identity proof from patients before conducting scans, failing which strict action will be taken against such centres.

Speaking at the district-level advisory committee meeting related to the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, held on Tuesday, he stressed that identity documents must be thoroughly verified. “Officials will visit scanning centres to ensure compliance. Moreover, reports at scan centres must be signed only by specialist doctors, not by staff members,” he said.

The district currently has 189 scanning centres, including 12 government-run and 177 private centres. A special inspection team has been formed, and from April to August 2025, inspections were conducted at 274 private scan centres and 15 government centres.

During the meeting, it was also informed that in the year 2024–25, the district recorded 12,540 male births and 11,758 female births, with a gender ratio of 938.