NAGPUR: Following complaints of misbehaviour from senior doctors against officials during inspection of sonography clinics, the civil surgeon office and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday jointly organized a district-level workshop on Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act for their doctors and tehsildars.

Participants were not only given technical details about sonography centres and inspection procedures but also given talk on behavioural aspects. Collector Saurabh Rao and civil surgeon Dr VD Badhe addressed their subordinates at the workshop. Legal counsellor of the civil surgeon office, Amita Khobragade, spoke about the legal aspects of the act while gynaecologist Dr Warsha Dhawale presented the doctors' side.

"The civic authorities, including officials from the health department of Zilla Parishad, NMC and others are trying to perform their duties. We are noticing that people who indulged in illegal sex determination are now scared of doing so," said Rao. While expressing satisfaction on this positive change, he also pointed out people too need to change their mindset. "In the third phase of the inspections, the NMC and the Zilla Parishad will be cross-checking centres in each other's jurisdiction," he added.

Assistant resident medical officer with civil surgeon office, Dr Ravindra Ingole, said special sessions were held for officials on behaviour and communication during inspections. "We were informed that many senior doctors from the city were offended by the language of some of our officials. While we would want to apologize for whatever happened in the past, we wish to assure the doctors that no such thing will happen in the future," he said.