JOIN USGovt told to compensate 2,478 victims of hysterectomies
In a significant move, Upalokayukta has recommended to the Department of Health and Family Welfare to compensate 2,478 women who had undergone ‘unwanted’ hysterectomy operations at government hospital in Malavalli in Mandya district.
Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi has also recommended a departmental enquiry against a general surgeon for conducting these unwanted operations in five years without following the line of treatment.
Dr N Basavaraj, who worked as a general surgeon at Malavalli hospital, had conducted these operations between 2005-06 and 2011-12. Based on complaints, Department of Health and Family Welfare had requested Upalokayukta to hold an investigation into the allegations against Dr Basavaraj.
In the wake of several reports in the media about such incidents in other parts of the state too, Justice Adi visited the Malavalli hospital to get information about the same till 2015, the year Basavaraj was transferred to some other hospital.
The Upalokayukta report stated that during such operations, the surgeon had removed ‘uterus’, an important organ. “In all the cases uterus was removed... thereby made them suffer and as a consequence of that they would not be in a position to have child. It appears that in many cases the women were not having children.
Hasty decisions
It is unfortunate that the doctor has taken hasty decisions and made the lives of thousands of women miserable,’’ the report stated.
During the enquiry, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Department stated that Dr Basavaraj had not taken precautions such as scanning, biopsy and other tests which were necessary before going for a surgery.
“Dr Basavaraj had not taken opinion from gynaecologists who were available in the very hospital. Further, the department had recorded statements from three women, who underwent surgeries, who claimed the doctor had taken money ranging from Rs 10,000 to
Rs 20,000 per surgery,” the report stated. The enquiry officer has also taken the opinion from professor and HOD of Vani Vilas Hospital, who stated that when a gynaecologist was available, hysterectomy should be performed by a gynaecologist only.
“Dr Basavaraj has failed to explain why he did not take the opinion of gynaecologists and why did he not refer the patients to gynaecologists. Three gynaecologists were posted and working at the Malavalli General Hospital during the period. On careful examination, it is very clear that Dr Basavaraj, with a oblique motive to have wrongful gain from the innocent and illiterate patients conducted 2,478 hysterectomy operations,”' the report stated.
The report concluded that Dr Basavaraj guilty of dereliction of duty and misconduct as per rule 3 (1) of KCS (Conduct) Rules, 1966.
In other districts too
Unwanted hysterectomy surgeries were reported from government hospitals at Ranebennur in Haveri district, Chikkamagaluru, Kalaburagi and Hassan districts.
The reports stated that thousands of women were asked to undergo hysterectomy.
In January this year, Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali, a non-government organisation, scrutinised the medical records of hundreds of women who had undergone hysterectomy and found that it was performed without adequate clinical evidence about its necessity.