Eight Women Die After Surgery at Sterilization ‘Camp’ In India

Indian state officials said on Tuesday that not less than eight women have died after going through sterilization surgery at a government-run “camp” in a central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Ten more women who also went though the same procedure were in serious condition. Reuters reporters were there:

The women fell ill on Monday after having laparoscopic tubectomies two days earlier at a so-called family planning camp at a village. Such camps are held regularly in Chhattisgarh and other Indian states as part of a long-running effort to control India’s booming population.



The 83 women who underwent tubectomies at the camp received incentive payments of 1,400 rupees ($23) to have the surgery, according to R.K. Bhange, Bilaspur’s chief medical officer. Health workers also got 200 ($3.25) rupees for bringing a woman to the camp.

The cause of the deaths of the eight women had not been determined, according to Bhange, but he said they had been vomiting before they died.
Senior state health officials have been sent to investigate.