Death toll in botched up Chhattisgarh tubectomy rises to 13

The death toll due to botched up tubectomies in Bilaspur district reached 13 Wednesday while 32 women were still in critical condition, an official said. Eighty-three women had undergone the surgery Saturday in Pendari village.

Meanwhile, three women who underwent sterlisation surgery in Jagdalpur had also to be admitted to ICU after their condition worsened.

Though Ramnesh Murti, medical superintendent of Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences, confirmed only 11 deaths, sources said 13 women have died after the surgery.

In another incident, two tribal women in Pendra village of Bilaspur district fell ill after undergoing sterlisation surgery at a tubectomy camp and have been admitted to a hospital in critical condition. Twenty-eight women were operated upon in the camp.

In Bakawand block in Bastar division, three women, who were operated upon for sterlisation, had to be admitted to ICU when their condition deteriorated after the surgery. They too had undergone tubectomy in a government-organised camp.

Hemant Singh, husband of one of the victims, said: "The women complained of pain in stomach after surgery. All three were taken to ICU. Initially, the officials did not disclose their condition."

In Ambikapur, a child reportedly died after vaccination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked to the Chief Minister Raman Singh over phone and asked him to ensure that the guilty are not spared.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday asked the Chhattisgarh government to explain the deaths.

"The commission has issued notice to the government of Chhattisgarh, through its principal secretary, health and family welfare (department), calling for a report into the incident within two weeks," an NHRC statement said.

Chief Minister Raman Singh, along with state heath minister Amar Agrawal, had Tuesday visited the patients in Bilaspur.

Four doctors have been suspended. First information report has been registered against four people, including civil surgeon R.K. Gupta who performed the surgeries.

The Chhattisgarh Congress has demanded resignation of the chief minister and state health minister. Defending the health minister, Chief Minister Raman Singh said he is not a doctor and he did not perform the surgeries. "So there arises no question of his removal," he maintained.

A team of seven doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, reached Bilaspur Wednesday to probe the incident.