Dearth of efficient surgeons to conduct tubectomies: Dr Pant

In the wake of 13 deaths due to botched tubectomy surgeries in Chhattisgarh and the raging debate over the way they were conducted, noted sterilisation expert Dr Lalitmohan Pant today said there was a "dearth" in country of efficient surgeons who carry out such procedures.
City-based Dr Pant (59), with around 3,30,000 sterilisation operations to his credit, also underlined the need to ensure good quality medicines during and after such surgeries.
"Deaths into Chhattisgarh tubectomies are like a stigma and a lesson should be learnt from it," Dr Pant told PTI.
The surgeon, whose consistent efforts found him a place in the Limca Book of World Records with the largest number of operations in day (816) besides 27,578 surgeries and 627 camps in one year, also emphasised the need of efficient family planning surgeons, saying this shortage need to be bridged.

"If quality doctors are in adequate number, the need of organising government sterilisation camps for undertaking massive number of operations won't arise. This will help in doing away with holding such camps," he said referring to the Chhattisgarh incident.
Dr Pant, who had worked a surgeon in a government hospital with specialisation in laproscopic sterilisation, added that government guidelines and the ground realities on carrying out these procedures are often at variance.

When asked on holding of sterilisation surgeries in a large number in government camps, he said it would be better that such operations take places in fully-equipped hospitals.

In Chhattisgarh incident, 12 out of 83 women died after they underwent laproscopic tubectomies at an abandoned hospital in Bilaspur district over last one week, while another death is reported from a different block in the same district.
Dr Pant, carrying out family planning operation since 1981, said it was "unfair" to hold only surgeons responsible for any complications in such procedures.
"If a patient dies after sterilisation, the society and media dub the doctor as a butcher or killer. This is not fair," he said, adding the role of the "medicine mafia" should also come under a scanner in such instance.

Dr Pant said though government buys medicines from the lowest bidder, the purchase of good quality medicine should be made.