The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has rejected the State Government’s report on the death of a woman after sterilisation operation in Bargarh district and directed to constitute a team consisting of doctors and administrators to ascertain the actual reason of the death. Acting on a petition filed by human rights lawyer Subash Mohapatra, the commission asked the Health and Family Welfare department principal secretary to submit the report within four weeks.
The commission had received a complaint on August 3 last year from Mohapatra that one Chandrakanti Barik, wife of Paramanand Barik, of Ghanamal village has died after few hours of sterilisation under family planning programme at the Padmapur Sub-Divisional Hospital in Bargarh on July 28, 2014. She was subjected to sterilisation by Dr Ashok Das and his team. However, she died at VSS Medical College and Hospital on the same on July 2, 2014.
In compliance of the order of the commission, the Health and Family Welfare department had submitted the report on November 3 last year stating that all possible treatment was given to the victim at the hospital but the patient could not survive and died on July 2, 2014 and thus, no negligence have been made by the concerned doctor.
The commission in its latest order observed that, “It is not clear that on what basis the State Government has come to the conclusion that there was no negligence on the part of Dr Ashok Das and his team. The Health and Family Welfare principal secretary is directed to constitute a team of doctors and administrators which may conduct an enquiry into the cause of death of the deceased and to ascertain whether there was medical negligence, if any.”