DROP IN SEX RATIO IN THE STATE:GOVERNMENTS

PANJIM: While the state boasts of many achievements on various fronts, it appeared to have been fighting a losing battle in maintaining a healthy male-female sex ratio, as the figures for the last three years indicate a big fall in the number of girl children born in the state.

According to figures made available by the health authorities, 21,725 live births were recorded in the year 2007, of whom 11,079 were males and 10,646 were females, thereby giving a ratio of 960 females to every 1,000 males in the state. The state boasts of a very good social fabric where the girls are “not discriminated”.

The figures for the year 2008 were a bit frightening as the sex ratio between males and female from January to December was 1,000:935, which many doctors said was a huge drop that could unsettle the social strata in the state, otherwise known for healthy sex ratio for decades.

The male-female sex ratio fell further to 1,000:925 in the year 2009 ringing alarming bells among the health authorities, who though were quick to say that not a single case of violation of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act have been reported in any part of the state. They said that the huge fall in sex ratio was intriguing.

The health officials in the state said that if the all seen over the past three years continued than the state could find itself in the league of states like Punjab and Haryana, where the sex ratio was below 800 in the case of Punjab and just above 800 in the case of Haryana.

While 6,200 males were born in the North Goa district in the year 2007, the number of female children born was 5,893. In South Goa 4,879 male children were born as compared to 4,653 female children, from January to December in the year 2007. The sex ratio at birth during the year 2007 stood at 105 males for every 100 females, in each of the two districts of the state.

In the year 2008, the total number of births recorded was 24,021 of whom 12,413 were males while the number of females was 11,608. In North Goa the number of male children born was 7,593 while that of females was 7,124. In the case of South Goa the number of male children born in 2008 was 4,820 while that of females was 4,484. The male/female sex ratio stood at 107:100 during the year in either of the district.

The year 2009 wherein 22,940 children were born in the state, sent the alarm bells ringing as the over male/female reached 108:100, which by all the health and family welfare standards was unfavourable.

While North Goa recorded 7,053 male child births that of females was 6,587 and in South Goa the number of male children born was 4,863 as compared to 4,437 females. The male/female ratio was 110:100 in South Goa just two short of being labeled as abnormal.

A few health officials “admitted” that female infanticide could be prevalent in the state, which they said could have led to drastic fall in sex ratio. They said that it was time that the state monitors the sex of the foetuses to find out whether medical termination of pregnancies was carried out selectively. (NT)