Probes into the shocking incident of sterilisation surgeries performed on 53 poor village women in just about two hours by three quacks in Bihar have almost given clean chit to the NGO that organised the health camp, prompting allegations about an apparent cover-up effort.
At the end of two different probes by the police and medical officials into the January 7 incident in the poverty-stricken northern Araria district, the authorities have focused only on procedural lapses in holding the health camp and are still groping within the district health department to put the blame on. There is little word about the NGO that was originally alleged to have deployed the quacks and displayed life-threatening neglect to the poor women undergoing the surgeries.
The state health department first exonerated the NGO, Jai Ambe Welfare Society, after Araria civil surgeon and the district magistrate said in their report that the 53 surgeries were conducted with enough medical attention and facilities in modestly hygienic conditions. This report was in sharp contrast to media reports and observations made by Araria SP Shivdeep Lande, who had raided the health camp and lodged FIRs against the NGO authorities.
Civil surgeon Husne Ara Begum, also the regional deputy director of health, said in her report, it was one MBBS doctor who had performed the surgeries on all the 53 women and did the job in about two hours. Medical experts criticised her, saying even a qualified surgeon would take at least 20 minutes for one surgery. Dr Begum found little wrong in the absence of anesthetists during the 53 surgeries as she later argued these surgeries could be safely and effectively conducted without them. The second probe by Purnea DIGP Amit Kumar and additional director (health) Dr K.K. Singh supported the earlier finding about an MBBS doctor having performed the 53 surgeries. This report, however, highlighted severe neglect on part of the NGO authorities towards the women.