This will add another feather in the cap of notoriety of Punjab, which is known for its dismal sex ratio. A study conducted by a local doctor reveals that the sex ratio of children up to six years of age has fallen drastically.
The study by paediatrician Harshinder Kaur is based on the number of children brought for treatment to Government Rajindra Hospital. The study reveals that while the sex ratio at birth was still low at 840 per thousand this year against 863 during last year, the number of girls brought for vaccination at the hospital after birth starts reducing with time.
The sex ratio during vaccination at birth is 823, it reduces to 550 at the time of LPT vaccination after two months and 717 for measles vaccination after nine months of birth, while the sex ratio for DT vaccination five years after birth stands at 739.
The study also reveals that the registration of girls for post-birth treatment at the local hospital has drastically reduced, as less than 400 girls are brought for treatment against 1,000 boys.
In August 2007, the number of girls registered at the hospital for treatment stood at 524, against 1,501 boys, leaving the ratio of 349 girls per 1,000 boys. The number of girls admitted to Rajindra Hospital is below 400 per thousand. “Considering the birthrate to be stable, the girl children are gradually decreasing as the age advances,” said Kaur, fearing that “either the girls are not treated properly or are missing”.
The study also mentions that the number of girls studying in various schools also indicate at the reducing sex ratio, which stands dismally low (below 400 in many cases).
The Census 2001 data also showed that the sex ratio at the time of birth was 864, but it fell to 770 in Patiala for girls up to six years of age. The study mentions some of the villages where the ratio is dismal.
Kaur demands a thorough probe into the declining sex ratio and seeks more checks on erring parents. Death of every girl child should be reported, she says.