12 women die in India after sterilization

A team of doctors rushed to central India on Wednesday after at least 12 women died and dozens of others fell ill during a government-run sterilization program to control the country's booming population, authorities said.

The case highlights the risks women face in reproductive health in a country struggling with high population growth and widespread poverty.

A total of 83 women, all villagers under the age of 32, had the operations on Saturday as part of the free sterilization campaign and were sent home that evening. But dozens later became ill and were rushed in ambulances to private hospitals in Bilaspur, a city in Chhattisgarh state.

State-run sterilization camps are held to curb India's 1.3 billion population, and most of those operated on are women. Many are poor, and they are often paid to be sterilized.

The camp was organized as part of family planning program, and the women who had the operation were each paid 1,400 rupees ($23).

On Monday, the women reportedly started complaining of pain and fever and were taken to hospitals on stretchers. Many relatives protested outside the hospitals.

"Reports of a drop in pulse, vomiting and other ailments started pouring in on Monday from the women who underwent surgery," said District Commissioner Sonmani Borah.

By Wednesday morning, at least 12 women had died, officials said.

The apparent cause of death was either blood poisoning or hemorrhagic shock, which occurs when a person has lost too much blood, said state Deputy Health Director Amar Singh. The preliminary results of autopsies are expected to be released on Wednesday.

Dozens of the women were still hospitalized on Wednesday, including some in critical condition. Dr Ramesh Murty at CIMS hospital, one of the facilities where the sick women were taken, said: "Their condition is very serious. Blood pressure is low."

The Chhattisgarh state government sent a plane to New Delhi overnight to pick up a team of four doctors "to ensure no time is lost" in treating the patients, Indian Health Secretary Lov Verma told Press Trust of India.

India's government - long concerned about pervasive poverty among its rapidly growing population - performs millions of free sterilization procedures on women and men who want to avoid the risk and cost of having a baby. Most of the patients are poor women who are usually paid a one-time incentive fee to undergo the surgery of $10 to $20, or about a week's pay for a poor person in India. About 180 million people in the country live on less than $1.25 a day.

Brinda Karat of the All-India Democratic Women's Association, who has demanded that the state's health minister resign, said, "These women have become victims because of the target-based approach to population control."

The state has suspended four government doctors, including the surgeon who oversaw the operations and the district's chief medical officer.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said, "It appears the incident occurred due to negligence" by doctors. The victims' families would each receive a compensation payment of about $6,600, he added.

AP - Xinhua

(China Daily 11/13/2014 page11)