Chhattisgarh Sterilisation Surgery Deaths: 2 suspended for delaying prbe

Bilaspur: The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday suspended two officials for allegedly delaying the investigation into the death of 13 women who had undergone sterilization surgery in Bilaspur district in 2014.

Congress MLAs Shailesh Pandey and Rashmi Ashish Singh raised the issue through a calling attention motion in the Assembly.

A sterilization camp was organized on November 8, 2014, at village Pendari in Bilaspur district. As many as 83 women developed complications after the surgery and 13 of them lost their life.

The MLAs alleged that the then BJP government had committed gross negligence in procurement of medicines.

Report from a Kolkata-based laboratory concluded that Ciprocin (Ciprofloxacin) tablets, prescribed to patients after sterilization, were sub-standard, the MLAs said.

But instead of taking action against people engaged in medicine procurement, the government took action against the doctor who had performed the surgeries, they claimed.

As per the investigation report, medicine suppliers Mahawar Pharma, Raipur and Kavita Pharma, Bilaspur had supplied "poison" instead of medicine, the legislators said.

Health Minister T S Singh Deo said in his reply that soon after receiving the report from the Kolkata lab, the Ciprocin medicine was banned in the state.

Chief Medical and Health Officer, Bilaspur, Dr R K Bhange, who was responsible for the procurement of medicine, was dismissed. An FIR was lodged against Ramesh Mahawar and Sumit Mahawar of Mahawar Pharma. Contracts of Mahawar Pharma and Kavita Pharmaceuticals were cancelled, he said.

Services of Dr R K Gupta, who carried out the surgeries, were terminated after it was found that he failed to follow the Standard Operating Procedure, while Block Medical Officer, Takhatpur, Dr Pramod Tiwari was suspended and Nodal Officer Family Welfare was also placed under suspension, he said.

Assistant Drug Inspector Hemant Srivastava who had issued ''Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate'' to Mahawar Pharma was also suspended. Legal proceeding against directors of Mahawar and Kavita Pharma were underway, the minister added.

Pandey alleged that the government delayed submission of the case before the court, and so far the accused have not been convicted. He demanded an investigation of the matter by a House committee.

Singh Deo accepted that there had been delay in the investigation, and announced the suspension of Drug Inspector Dharamveer Dhruv and Assistant Drug Inspector Rajesh Khatri.