Blame poor quality medicines for botched surgeries: Surgeon

The surgeon, who has been arrested for conducting 83 sterilisation surgeries at a village in Bilaspur district that left 12 women dead, on Thursday accused the administration of framing him and blamed "poor quality" medicines supplied by the state government for the tragedy.

Laparoscopic surgeon Dr R K Gupta, who was taken into custody from his relatives' place in neighbouring Balodabazar district late Wednesday night, accused the administration of framing him and said the health officials, including chief medical and health officer, block medical officer and block health officer should be held equally responsible for the incident.

"The condition of the women deteriorated after they were given a painkiller and an antibiotic following the surgery. Women also complained of vomiting after consuming those medicines," Gupta, who performed tubectomy on 83 women at state-run camp in Pendari village on Saturday which claimed life of 12 women and left many critical, told media persons at a police station in Bilaspur.

"The drug infection possibly has led to the deaths of the women. However, post-mortem reports can only establish the exact cause behind the causalities and complications," he said ruling out improper sterilisation of surgery equipment for the deaths.

Questioning the quality of medicines, he said if good quality drugs were used at the camp then the tragedy could have been averted.

"As per the news reports, the medicines provided at the camp were not properly checked. Local medicines were supplied. If good medicines had been provided, then this incident would not have taken place," he said.

Accusing the state government of supplying substandard medicines at the camp, Gupta said, "We cannot predict the quality of medicines just by seeing it. After examination only one can ascertain its quality. The state government is responsible for its arrangement and they should have checked it completely. Medicines are procured through tender process and the lowest bidding manufacturer is preferred."

"They can't blame me alone for the incident. Entire administration is responsible for it. Whatever charges have been imposed on me should also be imposed on all suspended officials and BHO," the doctor demanded.

"I am being dragged into it just to save the skin of the administration. 83 operations was not only my task, but it was for all the doctors who were there," alleged Gupta, who has performed over 50,000 sterilisation surgeries in his career.

Dr Gupta was suspended on Tuesday and arrested late Wednesday night from Balodabazar district after an FIR was lodged against him. He has been charged under section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and other relevant sections of IPC, Bilaspur Range IG Pawan Dev said.

As many as 13 women have died in the past four days due to botched surgeries at different sterilisation camps held under national family planning programme in the home district of Chhattisgarh Health Minister Amar Agrawal.

Twelve women died after 83 women were operated upon at Nemichand Jain Cancer and Research Centre at Pendari village of Takhatpur block on Saturday, while another casualty was reported on Wednesday after 56 women underwent surgeries at different camps in Pendra block on Monday.

As per the officials, nearly 56 women underwent surgeries at sterilisation camps held in Pendra, Gaurela and Marwahi, located around 120 kms away from Bilaspur district headquarters, on November 10, two days after the Pendari sterilisation camp.

As a precautionary measure, all women who underwent surgery in Pendra were being shifted to hospitals of Bilaspur, Divisional Commissioner Sonmani Borah said.

Under attack from opposition Congress which demanded his resignation, Chief Minister Raman Singh had earlier announced a high-level probe and suspended four officials, including the Chief Medical and Health Officer of Bilaspur and transferred Director Health Services Dr Kamalpreet Singh.