The apex consumer forum has asked the Centre and MCI to take steps to protect women from "rampant unscrupulous hysterectomies" being carried out by private nursing homes to take advantage of a central scheme which provides them reimbursement for treating the poor.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said the nursing homes take advantage of the Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana (RSBY) and cheat women by carrying out hysterectomies where they are not required. It asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Council of India to initiate stringent action against such doctors.
NCDRC passed the order while directing Secunderabad-based Yashoda Group of Hospitals and its gynaecologist, Dr Padmini Valluri, to pay within three months Rs 10 lakh to a woman as compensation for "negligent treatment" given to her.
The NCDRC said Dr Padmini not only "lacked consent" of the patient, but also "removed the ovaries and fallopian tubes in circumstances that were neither pathologically necessary nor reasonably incidental to surgery contemplated," resulting in sterilisation of the woman.
"RSBY has become a craze among private nursing homes... several thousand nursing homes in India take advantage of the scheme and cheat women by carrying out hysterectomies where they are not required. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Council of India (MCI) should initiate stringent action against such doctors.
"Data of hysterectomy surgeries should be made mandatory for each private and government hospital in the country. There is need to protect the innocent women in our country and stop such rampant unscrupulous hysterectomies... We are of the view that the hospital and doctor are negligent...
"Complainant's wife (patient), who anticipates lifelong unforeseen complications of hysterectomy and removal of her ovaries, deserves just and proper compensation. Also, she lost the chance of second baby," a bench presided by Justice J M Malik said.
