Botched sterilisation surgeries claimed 110 lives: MoS Health Anupriya Patel

NEW DELHI: Botched sterilisation surgeries claimed the lives of over 110 people in 2015-16, death rates which are at par with countries like Bangladesh, the Lok Sabha was informed.

The government has taken several steps including upgradation of guidelines on standards and quality assurance in sterilisation services, said MoS for Health Anupriya Patel in a written reply.

"Yes," Patel said when asked whether government is aware that botched sterilisation surgeries in 2016-16 claimed at least 113 lives and the death rate is at par with countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia.

As per the figures given by the Minister, 19 people died in Maharashtra while 14 each in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh lost their lives due to such surgeries.

"The steps taken by the government includes upgradation of guidelines on standards and quality assurance in sterilisation services and dissemination of standards to all states through workshops conducted in the states for programme managers as well as service providers," she said.

She said that the other steps include establishment and strengthening of state and district quality assurance committees for monitoring quality of sterilisation services and regular monitoring visits and tracking through health management information system.

She said that the Supreme Court has stressed the need to strengthen Primary Health Centres in a time bound manner and the government has accordingly issued detailed guidelines in October 2016 incorporating the directions of the apex court to all states to take strategic actions in this regard.