The Hanoi municipal Department of Health’s inspectorate fined a private medical facility VND40 million (USD1,916) for illegally for revealing the gender of embryos.
Gender selection causes gender imbalance
The move followed the city’s Party Committee’s Directive 8, created to ease the problem of gender imbalance.
As part of this effort, local officials coordinate with the inspectorate of the General Office for Population Family Planning and the Ministry of Health to crack down on those who distribute information on the mechanics of gender selection.
The municipal Department of Health and health offices at the district level are now required to intensify inspection of private medical facilities.
The department inspected all medical stations that provide ultrasound services citywide, and found one facility to be in violation of the regulation.
Ta Quang Huy, Director of the municipal Department of Population and Family Planning, cited the results of a survey issued in 2009 that the inequality of gender at birth in Hanoi was 113 boys for every 100 girls. This rate reached 117 on 100 in 2010, and 116 on 100 in 2011.
He attributed the problem to culture, saying that most families prefer boys. As a result of advancing technology and higher living standards, many families made that decision. Others, upon learning the gender through ultrasound, decide to abort.
The law does not effectively address this issue, he added.
