8 women die after sterilisation surgery, 4 docs suspended

Eight young women died and 52 others were hospitalised after botched sterilisation procedure at a state-run camp in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, following which the government has suspended four health officials and ordered a probe.
60 women were admitted to different hospitals after they developed post-operative complications at a sterilisation camp organised by the government at a private hospital in Pendari village on the outskirts of Bilaspur town on Saturday, district Collector Siddharth Komal Pardeshi said today.
Eight of them, all below 32 years of age, died from complications, Pardeshi told PTI.
Under attack from opposition Congress which demanded his resignation, Chief Minister Raman Singh announced a high-level probe and suspended four officials, including the Chief Medical and Health Officer of Bilaspur.

He ordered registration of FIR against the surgeon under whose supervision the sterilisation camp was organised at Nemichand Jain Cancer and Research Centre where 83 women had undergone surgical procedures for sterilisation.
The state government initially announced a compensation fo Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims but the Chief Minister raised it to Rs 4 lakh. Rs 50,000 would be given to those undergoing treatment the cost of which will be borne by the government.

Chief Medical and Health Officer of Bilaspur R K Bhange, laparoscopic surgeon Dr R K Gupta, State Programme Convener, family planning, Dr K C Urao and Block Medical Officer, Takhatpur, Dr Pramod Tiwari have been suspended in connection with the incident.

The Chief Minister said prima facie the tragedy had occurred due to negligence and ordered registration of an FIR against Gupta under whose supervision the camp was held and surgeries performed.
"Its a very unfortunate incident. Prime facie it appears that the incident occurred due to negligence (by doctors). A detailed enquiry will be conducted keeping in view all angles including the quality of the medicines, standard of the surgery, post operative measures and others," he said.
A three-member committee has been constituted to investigate the incident, he said.
Deputy Director, Health Services, Amar Singh said preliminary examination suggested hypovolemic shock, an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss make the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body, or septic infection as possible causes for the deaths.

However, the exact reason would be known only after autopsies have been performed.