226 Uteruses removed in Rajasthan, probe ordered

An RTI application has revealed that the uteri of 226 out of 385 women patients were removed in surgeries carried out across five private hospitals in Dausa district of Rajasthan between March and September 2010. HT reports.

An RTI application has revealed that the uteri of 226 out of 385 women patients were removed in surgeries carried out across five private hospitals in Dausa district of Rajasthan between March and September 2010.

HT Image

The surgical procedure for removal of the uterus is known as hysterectomy.

“The doctors scared the women saying that the infection would spread if they did not have the surgery, and earned Rs12,000 to 14,000 per patient,” said Durga Prasad, general secretary of the NGO Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat that filed the application.

On Saturday, State Health Minister Aimaduddin Ahmed Khan told HT that no FIR has been filed because there is no act governing private hospitals. “Suo motu we cannot take action,” said Khan.

Khan informed that the government had set up a committee to probe the incident for any irregularity. “The final report will take some time as members will have to meet all the women,” he said. “The registration of four hospitals has been cancelled, while one was not even registered,” he added.

Devender Madan owner of Madan Hospital, one of the implicated hospitals , said, “We have consent letters of the women. They were suffering from complications in their uterus.”