Telangana: 4 women die post botched sterilisation surgery, Govt orders probe

Rangareddy: After four women lost their lives due to a botched Double Puncture Laparoscopy (DPL) for sterilisation at Civil Hospital in Ibrahimpatnam, Rangareddy district, the officials have shifted the remaining 30 women who had undergone the same sterilization procedure to other hospitals for treatment.  

Around 34 women underwent the procedure at the health center on August 25, and about 17 women are now receiving treatment at Nizam's Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) hospital in Hyderabad, whereas around 13 are being treated at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad. The health officials have reported the condition of the women to be stable now. Four women aged 22 and 32 died after the procedure over the last week. 

Also Read:Botched abortion kills rape victim: Doctor booked, absconding

According to Telangana's Director of Public Health, Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao, the medical team assessed the health conditions of the remaining 30 women, who were admitted to hospitals as a precautionary measure. Nine of them had complained of fever and pain in the abdomen, reports the Hindu. 

A notice was issued by the Telangana State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to the Rangareddy district Collector seeking a report on the situations that led to the women's deaths. The deceased women came from the villages in Ibrahimpatnam, Manchal mandals. 

Eshwar, the spouse of twenty-two-year-old deceased Sushma, who had decided to go for family planning and undertake the sterilisation services being provided at the state-run Community Health Centre, said, "I should not have let her go there. I unnecessarily sent her, and it took her life. We never thought this would happen." Eshwar said that Sushma felt uneasy after the procedure, and they thought it was normal. However, she complained of body pain and diarrhea after the procedure. The following day, Eshwar took her to Nizam's Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) hospital in Hyderabad. However, he told The News Minute, "There the doctors said her blood pressure was falling, and she died the next day."

The district health officials stated that 34 DPLs were performed at the CHC on August 25 after which some women complained of acute gastroenteritis. According to sources, the center fixed all the procedures in one single day since they wanted to achieve a target. 

The State Health Minister Harish Rao is reported to have taken stock of the situation on Wednesday and stated that an 'infection' was found to be the cause of the death. He visited the women who are currently being treated at NIMS and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased women. A 2 BHK house for the kin of the deceased, and admission of surviving children in residential schools were also announced. 

The case is being investigated by an expert committee headed by the state Director of Public Health, Dr. G Srinivasa Rao. District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr. Swarajaya Laxmi told TNM, "We are monitoring the condition of women who are under treatment continuously and all of them are stable. Few of them have complained about wounds, and this is being addressed." The doctor said they have not received the complete reports of all four cases of death but the primary information points out infection as a probable cause of death. Speaking about the SHRC notices following allegations of lapses in the DPL procedure, she said, "We will give the response shortly. At the moment we are working towards stabilizing the situation."

There are allegations about the DPL equipment not being properly sterilized which could have led to the infection. The officials are looking into allegations of performing the DPLs beyond the permitted number within the span of hours. 

The authorities have suspended Dr. Sridhar, the superintendent in charge of the hospital, but there are reports which suggest that action has been taken against the wrong person instead of the persons who conducted the DPLs. To this, the DMHO said, "Being the Superintendent of the CHC he was supposed to follow the protocol to avoid infections. He was suspended for failing to ensure the safety measures. The license of the doctor who performed DPLs have also been canceled." 

Dr. Sandeep Singh Yadav, National Secretary, Indian Medical Association said, "There should be at least 45 minutes of break between each DPL surgery if it is being done by a single doctor. The equipment sets need to be put in cidex antiseptic solution after each surgery for at least 15 minutes. There was no need for conducting that many surgeries in a single day." Dr. Yadav stressed the importance of conducting DPLs by adhering to safety measures. He said, "Conducting DPLs merely for numbers and for the sake of monetary schemes without considering the age of the women would result in complications. Higher authorities should be more vigilant on the DPL camps."

As per the Times of India, protests were reportedly held on Monday evening demanding justice. 

The samples of the deceased women have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for chemical analysis to understand the exact cause of death, and the inquiry report is slated to be submitted within a week. The sterilisation programme had been kept on hold till the cause of death is known. The government would review the programme and take necessary measures to address any shortcomings, said the State Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao. He added that they are taking all precautions to avoid the recurrence of such tragedies. 

Also Read:Botched C-Section: Two doctors booked under Section 304 A of IPC over death of pregnant woman