Bihar hospitals conduct Tubectomy sans Anaesthesia on 24 women, probe Ordered

Patna: The recent incident of Tubectomy operation on 24 rural women in Bihar has shocked everyone because the public health centres in Khagaria district that conducted the operation did not apply anaesthesia on the patients. Instead those women were operated in conscious condition while they cried out of extreme pain during the surgeries.

Taking cognizance of the matter and the complaints of the patients, the DM of Khagaria district has directed the Civil Surgeon to investigate the matter and submit the report at the earliest. The Civil Surgeon has already asked the in-charge of those two health centres to submit clarifications. 

On the basis of their report, the authorities will take action against the two NGOs that had organized the family planning surgeries, Civil surgeon Dr Amarnath Jha informed TOI.

Altogether 53 women underwent the tubectomy operations at the two health centres in Bihar's Khagaria district. Accordingly to the standard practice of conducting tubectomy operation, the doctors use local anaesthesia for the procedure.

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, those 24 women were part of a group of 53 women who underwent the family planning surgery, as a part of a government-sponsored campaign run by NGOs. The operations had been conducted Alauli and Parbatta health centres in the Khagaria district of Bihar.

While the patients complained of extreme pain and claimed to be conscious throughout the surgery, one of the health centres claimed that even though anaesthesia had been used, it didn't work on some of the women.

"The required dose of anaesthesia was administered to each woman, but it didn't prove effective as every person has a different body mechanism," said the in-charge of Parbatta health centre, Dr Rajiv Ranjan.

Meanwhile, the Alauli health centre in-charge Dr Manish Kumar has informed about his decision of blacklisting the concerned NGO, Gobal Development Initiative after receiving the complaints. TOI adds that the NGOs reportedly received Rs 2,100 from the State Health Department for each one of the Tubectomy operations. 

Describing the horror, one of the patient who underwent the procedure told the daily, "When I was taken inside the OT, I saw two women crying out of pain. When I asked the doctor if I will be operated upon without getting anaesthesia administered, he said it's a minor surgery. Then, I was made to lie down on the operation table as the doctor got into the surgery job. Very soon I could feel the severity of pain due to cutting of body parts. As I cried out of pain, four persons held my hands and feet tightly as the doctor completed the job. I was administered anaesthesia only after the surgery was conducted."

"I felt severe pain when the blade made contact with my body," mentioned another patient who claimed to be conscious throughout the procedure.

The recent report by TOI adds that already the Khagaria DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh has initiated an inquiry in this regard and speaking about this, he told the daily on Wednesday, "I have asked the civil surgeon to inquire into the matter and submit the report soon."

The Civil Surgeon Dr. Amarnath Jha has asked the health centres to submit clarifications in this regard and he has assured that action would be initiated against the concerned NGOs on the basis of their report.

"Strict action will be initiated once accountability is fixed," he assured.

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