In a shocking incident, as many as 60 women were subjected to forced tubal sterilisation without anaesthesia at a primary healthcare centre (PHC) on Thursday in Bihar’s Khagaria that saw another mass forced sterilisation a few days back.
On camera, several women complained that they each were held by four people as the doctor performed tubectomy on them at the centre in Alauli area of the district.
After undergoing the surgery, Pratima Kumari said, “I was asked to lay down on the floor. When the surgery started, I felt severe pain and asked the doctor to inject some medicine to kill the pain but doctors said anaesthesia is not needed.”
Locals alleged that sterilisation was forced on women to meet the targets set by the state government.
More shocking is the fact that as many as 30 women were made to lie on the floor in a room after the operation at the same PHC on November 12 but authorities failed to act.
The sterilisation was conducted by a private company named Global Development Initiative on a contractual basis.
India’s women’s rights body, the National Commission for Women on Friday took cognizance of the medical negligence. Its chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Bihar cabinet secretariat to take strict action against the NGOs, doctors and all those involved and demanded to revoke the registration of the doctors who are found guilty.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, said civil surgeon Dr Amarnath Jha. “Action will be taken based on the investigation report,” he said.
Another government doctor, Dr Vivekanand said that forceful sterilisation is unethical and inhumane, and can cost the life of the woman.
“Surgery without anaesthesia can lead to severe pain and cause death. After sterilisation, the woman needs to be laid on the bed to ensure stable blood pressure,” he said.