‘2 Minutes Per Surgery’: Over 175 Women Sterilised at Breakneck Speed in Govt Camp in MP’s Dhar

New Delhi: At a camp in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar region, a sterilization treatment was allegedly finished in two minutes, exposing the startling speed at which the surgeries were performed and exposing major flaws in public healthcare. More than 175 women were allegedly sterilised without basic medical facilities at the Bagh Community Health Centre, where visuals show patients lying on the floor in the open, under direct sunlight, without proper beds, drinking water or essential post-operative care. Serious concerns have been raised by the occurrence regarding medical procedures, safety regulations, and systemic negligence. 

Over 170 Women Operated in a Few Hours 

According to available information, over 170 tribal women, along with their young children and relatives, reached the sterilisation camp on Friday. The hospital reportedly has a bed capacity of only 30. But in a few of hours, 175 sterilisations were performed.

It has been alleged that a single private doctor, Rakesh Dawar, reached the hospital at around 3 p.m. and was assigned nearly 170 operations. One sterilisation was apparently finished in two to five minutes, demonstrating how quickly the operations were carried out.

After the operations, women were laid out in the open area of the hospital premises. The visuals show them lying on the ground close to a waste bin. There was no suitable water supply, no tent to protect them from the sun, and no suitable space for rest or recuperation.

Officials then said that although 175 sterilisations were carried out, the regulations only allow for a maximum of 30 to be carried out in a single day. Although he asserted that no post-operative issues have been documented to date, the centre’s BMO acknowledged that there is a risk of infection in such situations. He stated that only those present at the time would be able to explain why 175 sterilisations were performed and added that guidelines were supposed to be followed. Additionally, he attested that the information was supplied when the health authorities requested specifics regarding the number of instances.

“They Threw Me on the Floor”

One of the women who underwent sterilisation said, “I didn’t pay attention. I was inside the room because they had given me anaesthesia. I couldn’t see outside. There was a lot of noise.”

She added, “It took five minutes. Then they took me out of the room and threw me on the floor. It was sunny there. No tent was set up. There was no way to escape the sun.

Describing the conditions, she said, “There were a lot of women lying on the floor. There was no bed. There was nothing. It was very hot. There was nothing to eat.”

On being asked about the risk of infection, she said, “They gave me an injection, but they left me in the sun. There was dirt there. Yes, there was a risk of infection.” She further stated, “They didn’t leave me with an ambulance. My father took me from there. There should be an investigation.”

Another woman recounted a similar experience. “It took five minutes. Then they took me out and threw me on the floor. It was sunny. There was no tent, no place to hide from the sun. I was lying on the floor,” she said.

She added, “There were many women lying there. There was no water, no fan and no other facilities. It was very hot. There was nothing to eat. There was dirt on the floor.” She acknowledged, “Yes, there was a risk of infection. There should be an investigation.”

“There Was Nothing at the Hospital”

In another interaction, a woman who underwent sterilisation said, “I went by myself. But the people of my village took the ASHA worker with them.”

Describing her condition after the procedure, she said, “There was nothing there. I am still in a little pain.”

She further stated, “They used to put a lot of needles on me. My hands were very painful. They didn’t even hold me properly. They used to put needles wherever they felt like.”

She added, “I couldn’t even walk properly. There was nothing to eat or drink there. There was no tea or water. There was nothing.”

The visuals from inside the community health centre show the exact area where women were laid out in the open. The event has been characterized as grave carelessness because there were only 30 beds available, 175 sterilisations were performed in a few hours, and there were no tents, water supplies, or other essential facilities.

Although the health department has issued notice and the concerned BMOs have reportedly been removed, economically weak women who came under a government scheme for sterilisation were left lying on the ground without proper arrangements.