The Hindu: Madurai: Sunday, June 22, 2025.
As per the RTI obtained by
A. Veronica Mary, a health activist based in Madurai, in the 87 Primary Health
Centres (PHC), 55 in rural and 32 in urban, located in the district, a total of
1,127 deliveries were performed in teenagers, aged under 18, between 2023 and
2024.
While 429 deliveries were registered in 2023, 698 deliveries were performed in 2024, according to the data.
Of all the PHCs in the district, Saptur PHC with 31 deliveries stood first, and T. Pudhupatti PHC with 30 deliveries, Virathanur PHC with 29 deliveries, Kancharampettai PHC and Thaniyamangalam PHC with 26 deliveries and Thumbaipatti PHC 25, followed in the list.
Ms. Mary, pointing out the appalling number of teenage pregnancies recorded in the PHCs, questioned whether all of the pregnancies had been translated into POCSO.
As per the system, the doctor or the hospital or the institution, whoever is first learning about the pregnancy of a minor girl, either through Child Line number 1098 or through available means, should inform the district administration, she added.
Following the registration of the complaint, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) should inform the police in addition to providing counselling or support to the victim, Ms. Mary stated.
While there was a system or mechanism to bring the issue of teenage pregnancy to the notice of the police to follow up on the matter, the difference in POCSO cases in comparison with the RTI data showed that there existed a gap in the process, she alleged.
Instead of reacting to such minor pregnancies, Social Welfare Department officials along with the Police Department should carry out awareness campaigns in schools and villages, she suggested.
A social welfare department official who did not want to be named said that any information they receive regarding minor marriage or pregnancy, would be informed to the police.
“Even doctors are directed to inform the DCPU or social welfare department about the teenage pregnancies they come across. So, we have a tab on all such incidents in the district,” the official added.
Based on Right To Information (RTI) data, an activist has expressed concern over the alleged non-translation of teenage pregnancies into Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases in Madurai district.
While 429 deliveries were registered in 2023, 698 deliveries were performed in 2024, according to the data.
Of all the PHCs in the district, Saptur PHC with 31 deliveries stood first, and T. Pudhupatti PHC with 30 deliveries, Virathanur PHC with 29 deliveries, Kancharampettai PHC and Thaniyamangalam PHC with 26 deliveries and Thumbaipatti PHC 25, followed in the list.
Ms. Mary, pointing out the appalling number of teenage pregnancies recorded in the PHCs, questioned whether all of the pregnancies had been translated into POCSO.
As per the system, the doctor or the hospital or the institution, whoever is first learning about the pregnancy of a minor girl, either through Child Line number 1098 or through available means, should inform the district administration, she added.
Following the registration of the complaint, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) should inform the police in addition to providing counselling or support to the victim, Ms. Mary stated.
While there was a system or mechanism to bring the issue of teenage pregnancy to the notice of the police to follow up on the matter, the difference in POCSO cases in comparison with the RTI data showed that there existed a gap in the process, she alleged.
Instead of reacting to such minor pregnancies, Social Welfare Department officials along with the Police Department should carry out awareness campaigns in schools and villages, she suggested.
A social welfare department official who did not want to be named said that any information they receive regarding minor marriage or pregnancy, would be informed to the police.
“Even doctors are directed to inform the DCPU or social welfare department about the teenage pregnancies they come across. So, we have a tab on all such incidents in the district,” the official added.
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