Tubectomy deaths: Surgeon, CMHO dismissed from service

Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has sacked the surgeon who had conducted the bothced-up sterilisation at a camp in Bilaspur district and the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) supervising the procedure for “dereliction of duty” and “negligence”.

While 12 out of the 83 women who were operated upon at Nemichand Jain Cancer and Research Centre at Pendari village of Takhatpur block on Saturday have died so far, one woman died at government-organised sterilisation camps in the Pendra block yesterday.

The total death toll in both the cases so far stood at 13.

However, the dismissal of the duo is in connection with the Pendari incident.

“On November 8, 2014, sterilisation surgeries of 83 women were conducted by laproscopic method at a camp held in Nemichand Jain Charitable Trust Hospital, Sakri (Pendari) village, Bilaspur by Dr RK Gupta, laparoscopic surgeon, Bilaspur district hospital, and under the supervision of Dr RK Bhange, CMHO, Bilaspur and TB specialist,” a government statement said in Raipur today.

“Keeping in view the situation and the public outrage, it is clear that sheer dereliction in discharging duties and negligence on the part of both officials (Dr Gupta and Dr Bhange) have resulted to this situation,” the release said, adding “no further investigation is needed to dismiss these officials under the provisions of Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1966 by the state government.

Following the surgeries, 12 women died while 68 others are in serious condition and undergoing treatment at different hospitals of Bilaspur after they developed post-operative complications. Gupta was arrested last night in neighbouring Balodabazar district. An FIR had already been registered against him. Chief Minister Raman Singh has already announced a judicial probe into the incidents.

Apart from Gupta and Bhange, the chief minister had suspended State Programme Convener, family planning, KC Urao and Block Medical Officer, Takhatpur, Pramod Tiwari and transferred Director, Directorate Health Services Kamalpreet Singh.

Gupta had accused the administration of framing him and blamed “poor quality” medicines supplied by the state government for the tragedy after his arrest.

PTI