Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday suspended four officers of the Health Department with immediate effect for their grave negligence in a sterilisation surgery case in Bilaspur district which had left atleast 10 women dead so far.
Singh hd already ordered a high-level inquiry into the case while sending director of health services and three professors of medical college to Bilaspur for commencing investigation into the case.
The officers suspended on Tuesday were — State Coordinator of Family Welfare Programme Dr KC Oram, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr SC Bhange, Block Medical Officer of Takhatpur, Dr Pramod Tiwari and a Government surgeon Dr RK Gupta.
According to information, Dr Gupta had performed the surgeries. Chief Minister has also ordered to lodge an FIR against Dr RK Gupta. Singh reached Bilaspur from Raipur via helicopter along with Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand and visited Government District Hospital, affiliated to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science (CIMS), and met the victims, who were admitted to the hospital due to the serious health problems they suffered from after undergoing sterilization surgery at the camp organized at Pendari village of Takhatpur block on Saturday.
The Chief Minister interacted with families of the victims and assured them that State Government would provide best treatment facilities to the victims. He directed doctors of the hospital to provide complete medical attention to the patients. Singh said that the Health Department has decided to provide financial aid of Rs4 lakh to family of each of the deceased women. The patients in critical condition will be provided free treatment and financial aid of Rs50,000 each.
Singh also expressed deep condolence and sympathy with the families of the women, who passed away due to illness post the sterilization surgery.The Chief Minister said that it is an extremely tragic incident and “we all empathize with families of the deceased”.
“We are concerned about the health of the ailing women of the incident. Best possible treatment has been facilitated to the patients for their speedy health recovery,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that State Government has already instituted a high-level inquiry into the case and the ones found guilty will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against the guilty officers and employees. Chief Minister said that health condition of the victims is improving with their treatment in the hospital.
He said that Sterilisation Programme is a national level programme of Health and Family Welfare Department. There is no scope of negligence in such important programmes. Keeping in view the seriousness of the incident, the State Government has instructed officials concerned to be extra cautious while conducting sterilization camps in government hospitals of the State so as to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future.