The online effect: 4-fold rise in sonography registrations

The online effect: 4-fold rise in sonography registrations

The municipal corporation’s family welfare department has seen a four-fold rise in sonography registrations after it was made compulsory for doctors using these machines to give details of patients online. Earlier, doctors would report around 5,000 procedures with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in December, the number rose to 19,628. “We used to get 3,000-5,000 physical forms at our office. But, since the we went online, number of cases reported has increased significantly,” said Dr Asha Advani, special officer for the family welfare department. Since October 31, 2011, the department has been conducting workshops for doctors to educate them about the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and how to fill Form F online. After the registration of sonography machines went online, doctors have to register themselves on www.savethebabygirl.com and fill Form F online in addition to maintaining a physical copy. “The online registration is compulsory. It has not only reduced manual error that led to seizure of a few sonography machines, we have been able to develop a monthly report based on the online forms by the first of the month and submit it to the state government,” said Dr Advani, Of the 1,000 sonography centres in the city, 534 have registered themselves online. “We have given the other centres three months’ time to register with us,” said Dr Advani.