SC declines to entertain petition of Bilaspur's botched operation deaths

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has declined to entertain the petition seeking its intervention in a case of medical negligence deaths during Bilaspur sterilization camp.

According to reports, the Supreme Court observed that the Union and the State Governments are doing whatever is necessary, so the issue doesn't need intervention.

Ten women died and 14 were in a serious condition after botched operations at a government mass sterilization camp in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur.

The women fell ill on Monday, two days after surgery at a so-called family planning camp at a village.

Such camps are held regularly in Chhattisgarh and other states as part of a long-running effort to control country's booming population.

As informed by the chief minister of the state, Raman Singh, four officials have been suspended and an investigation will be held.

The cause of the deaths was not yet clear, but officials said they were looking into several possibilities, including whether the surgical equipment was infected.

Some 83 women had laparoscopic tubectomy surgery at the camp, receiving incentive payments of 1,400 rupees, said R.K. Bhange, Bilaspur's chief medical officer. Health workers got 200 rupees for each woman they brought to the camp.

"I will only say that this is the fault of the doctors and the nurses. This is very clear," a relative of one of the victims said.

"The authorities in the government hospitals should tell us if they want money like in private hospitals, at least they will treat patients properly. The staff here works carelessly," said a relative of another victim.

Congress workers demanded resignation of the state health minister and chief minister.

Deaths due to sterilization are not a new problem in India, where more than four million sterilizations were performed in 2013-14, according to the government.

Between 2009 and 2012, the government paid compensation for 568 deaths resulting from sterilization, the health ministry said in an answer to a question in parliament two years ago.