Botched sterilisation surgeries: CM orders judicial probe

Bilaspur, Nov 13: Under attack over botched sterilisation surgeries at government-run medical camps which have so far claimed lives of 13 young women in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday announced a judicial probe into the incidents.

The surgeon who performed tubectomy procedures on 83 women at a camp at Pendari village in a matter of few hours, has been arrested and the state's Food and Drug Administration authorities have sealed a manufacturing unit which allegedly supplied sub-standard medicines administered to the victims.

"A judicial inquiry will be conducted into the incidents and those found guilty will not be spared. Whether it is the medicine manufacturer, distributor or doctors, Strict action will be taken," he told reporters at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science (CIMS).

Singh, who visited various hospitals where the afflicted women have been admitted, said 138 women on whom tubectomy procedure was performed at camps in Pendari and Pendra areas are undergoing treatment at Bilaspur.

"Of the 52 women admitted to Apollo Hospital, 2 are on ventilator, 3 are undergoing dialysis and 5 on non-invasive ventilator (NIV) system, while others are normal. Besides, rest of the women admitted to CIMS and district hospital are normal," he added.

Over allegations of sub-standard medicines having been administered to the victims, he said the samples were being sent to Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Kolkata and a conclusion could be drawn only after reports have been received.

A 16-member team of doctors from Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, arrived here today and examined the patients. The team will stay put in Bilaspur till the time those afflicted recovered, the Chief Minister said.

The drug controlling authority sealed a unit of Mahawar Pharma which manufactures Ciprocin 500 mg tablets used at the camps where surgeries had been performed.

"A raid was conducted at the drug manufacturing unit of Mahawar Pharma this morning and after collecting samples of medicines from there it was sealed," Controller, FDA, Ravi Prakash Gupta told PTI.

PTI