Four women die after sterilisation camp at CHC Ibrahimpatnam

The total number of fatalities, following the sterilisation camp, has risen to four, Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr G Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday said.

Hyderabad: Two more women have succumbed to complications arising out of sterilisation surgery that was conducted at Community Health Centre (CHC), Ibrahimpatnam on August 25. With this, the total number of fatalities, following the sterilisation camp, has risen to four, Director of Public Health (DPH), Dr G Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday said.

A total of 34 women had undergone Double Puncture Laparoscopy (DPL) at the sterilisation camp on August 25 at CHC, Ibrahimpatnam. The medical condition of the rest of the 30 women was in stable condition, doctors said.

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Following the incident, the Superintendent of CHC, Ibrahimpatnam has been placed under lifetime suspension while doctors who conducted the surgery have been suspended temporarily. The State government has also ordered an enquiry, which is being led by DPH, Dr G Srinivasa Rao.

“The remaining 30 women who underwent DPL at the sterilisation camp are stable. For precaution, we have shifted a few women to NIMS hospital and are tracking their health development closely. The sterilisation camp is a routine exercise wherein DPL, tubectomy and vasectomy surgeries are conducted by experienced doctors. The doctors who conducted the surgeries are highly experienced. The incident is definitely an aberration and we are looking into the exact reasons that led to the four fatalities,” Dr Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday said.

The DPH also clarified that such camps are organised routinely across Telangana every month and a large number of women volunteer to undergo sterilization at such camps.

Earlier, on Monday, the DPH said that a total of 34 cases were operated out of which 30 women were discharged and all of them are in stable condition. Four women had complained of acute gastroenteritis and were admitted to private hospitals for treatment. While undergoing treatment, two women succumbed to complications while the remaining two women were undergoing treatment in a private hospital.

The DPL is a preferred surgery for women who want permanent sterilisation with minimal complications. The sterilisation surgery allows women to get discharged on the same day and they can resume their activities immediately.

Following the incident, the State government has directed DPH to enquire into the matter and give a detailed report within a week for taking action. For the families of the deceased, the State government has released an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh, 2BHK for the family of the deceased and admission of surviving children in residential school.