The Karnataka State Commission for Women expressed unhappiness over the State government’s inordinate delay in making public the K. Neela Committee report and to take action against the various private hospitals in Kalaburagi district for performing unwarranted hysterectomy surgeries in the recent past.
Nagalakshmi Bai, chairperson of the commission, speaking to presspersons after inspecting the District Government General Hospital here on Tuesday, said that the six-member committee constituted by the Karnataka State Commission for Women had investigated the issues related to unwanted hysterectomy surgeries in more than 30 tandas and villages for eight months and submitted its report in April 2016.
Though the commission had submitted the report a year ago, the government has failed to implement the recommendations of the K. Neela committee report. “I had even written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ramesh Kumar two weeks ago,” she added.
However, the commission will not allow the doctors to make money by performing hysterectomy; steps would be taken to end the unwarranted hysterectomies across the district. Ms. Nagalakshmi Bai termed it [such unwarannted surgeries] a violation of medical ethics by practitioners. The committee report contained many instances of breach of prescribed medical protocol by well-reputed hospitals and doctors in the city, she said.
In the 25 hospitals, nearly 2,250 hysterectomies were performed between January 2014 and June 2016, and Noola Surgical and Maternity Hospital in Kalaburagi city had performed the highest number of 900 hysterectomies during the period.
Meanwhile, District Surgeon Balachandra Joshi refuted the allegations that the patients were referred to private hospitals and said that patients were either referred to ESI hospital or Gulbarga Institute of Medical Science (GIMS).
Ms. Nagalakshmi Bai interacted with patients in the Labour ward to find out whether they had any complaints over the services or amenities provided by the hospital. Ms. Nagalakshmi Bai inspected the facilities at Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
After noticing some women with their newborns sitting on the floor in a room attached to labour ward, Ms Nagalakshmi directed hospital authorities to provide additional beds. No patient will be forced to sit or lie down on the floor, she said and added that steps should be taken to prevent any infection to women patients and their newborns.
The commission members expressed displeasure over the poor sanitary conditions in Labour rooms and other wards.
Dr. Joshi said that the Government General Hospital has 500 beds, including 22 NICU beds for infants. The hospital handles over 700 deliveries, including 250 Caesarean sections, every month, he added.
