Unmarried man 'tricked' to undergo vasectomy in Gujarat, probe ordered

Ahmedabad: A day after a man, who was about to get married in a month, was allegedly tricked into getting a vasectomy by health workers in north Gujarat's Mehsana district, the state government on Saturday claimed that "it is not a scam" and added that an investigation has been ordered into the incident.

"Vasectomy is not a scam as being projected because health workers don't have a target to achieve. It is voluntary for which a health worker gets Rs 200 to Rs 500. The incident is being investigated," state health minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel said.

A 35-year-old from Navi Sedhavi village in Mehsana district on Friday complained that he was allegedly tricked by health workers and taken to a government hospital in Gandhinagar where he was subjected to vasectomy.

The man was allegedly lured by health workers on the pretext of hiring him as a farm labourer. The workers allegedly gave him liquor, after which he was taken to the hospital and the procedure was performed. He learned about the vasectomy only after he experienced pain while urinating.

The consent form, which has the purported thumb imprint of the man, states that he is a father of three children.

As the news spread, another person alleged that he too was tricked into undergoing the surgery at Kalol Hospital while another person said he escaped after he threatened the health workers with a complaint.

These allegations come in the wake of an ongoing investigation into a scam where funds for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna were allegedly swindled by a hospital and its administration, during which they performed angioplasty on several people.