The Punjab and Haryana High Court has strongly condemned the rising issue of female infanticide in the northern part of the country, attributing it to unethical practices by certain medical professionals. The court’s remarks came while rejecting an anticipatory bail plea from a renowned doctor in Haryana’s Hisar district, reported The Times of India.
The court observed that, despite the strict prohibitions under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, some doctors continue to secretly conduct sex determination tests, betraying both their ethical duties and the fundamental principles of medical practice. The Act, aimed at preventing sex-selective abortions, is being blatantly violated by some in the medical fraternity for financial gain.
The Hippocratic Oath, a foundational ethical guideline for the medical profession, demands that doctors protect life and do no harm. However, the court noted, some practitioners driven by greed have become complicit in the illegal extermination of female foetuses. “The involvement of unethical medical practitioners in facilitating this practice through clandestine sex determination tests is particularly reprehensible, as it represents the betrayal of the very principles of the medical profession,” the court stated.
The court’s remarks highlight the need for stricter enforcement of laws and greater accountability among medical professionals to curb the practice of female infanticide, which continues to be a deeply disturbing issue in parts of northern India.
