Ultrasound machines sealed in Ramgarh pvt hospitals

RAMGARH: A health department team, led by civil surgeon Dr Dilip Kumar Singh, sealed two ultrasound machines being operated by a couple of private nursing homes in Ramgarh district after complaints of pre-natal diagnosis for sex determination were received.
The action was taken on the direction of deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal. Both the nursing homes failed to produce documents related to operation of the machine and had no radiologist in place.Singh on Saturday confirmed the sealing of the ultrasound machines saying the nursing homes were not authorized to carry out tests. “We have sealed the ultrasound machines at Raj Nursing Home, Bhurkunda, and Raj Hospital, Ramgarh as they have no authorization,” Singh said adding that there was no expert radiologist in Ramgarh who could properly operate the machines.
“These nursing homes are cheating patients especially pregnant women who desire to determine the sex of the foetus,” he said. However, no complaint or FIR has been lodged in this regard after the nursing home owners agreed to abide by the rules and directive of the health department. “They should maintain record of each pregnant woman who undergoes scanning and the machine must be operated by a qualified radiologist,” Singh said.
Dr Rajendra Mahto of Raj Nursing Home, Bhurkunda, denied involvement of any kind of pre-natal diagnosis and said his nursing home had obtained authorization from the undivided Hazaribag health department which is valid up to 2013. But he admitted that he had no expert radiologist for operating the machine.