The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the State Health Department Secretary in connection with the alleged faulty family planning operations conducted on 117 women at the Parajang Health Centre in Dhenkanal district in January this year.
Acting on a complaint lodged by Supreme Court lawyer Radhakant Tripathy, the apex human rights body has issued this notice. In his complaint Tripathy alleged that the 117 women who underwent sterilisation are suffering severe pain as the operation was done without adequate facilities and under unhygienic conditions. Most of the operations have been unsuccessful, he alleged.
Stating that women’s human rights have been violated by the Health Department, he urged the NHRC to send a special rapporteur to visit the spot to assess the situation. He demanded that the State Government be directed to immediately ensure proper medical treatment to these patients free of cost till they get well.
Besides, the rights activist also wanted that the State be asked to submit a report on how it took such a drive without having infrastructure and to pay compensation to the victims.
The apex human rights watchdog would hear the case in October this year, Tripathy informed.