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Chhattisgarh mass sterilization doctor arrested

by IBNS 12 Nov 2014, 11:56 pm

Bilaspur, Nov 13 (IBNS): The Chhattisgarh police on Wednesday night arrested the doctor who performed mass sterilization surgeries in Bilaspur last week, media reports said.

RK Gupta, 59, was picked up for questioning last night. He had operated on as many as 83 women in just five hours at the Nemi Chand Jain hospital in Bilaspur. The hospital had not been in use since April this year.

“It was not my fault. The administration pressured me to meet targets… The surgeries went well but the problem was with the medicines given to the women,” he said.

Gupta was suspended on Tuesday by the state government. Earlier, the state government had awarded him on January 26 for carrying out a record 100,000 surgeries in his career.

Meanwhile, a team of doctors from Delhi’ss premier AIIMS hospital is already in Bilaspur to investigate the matter.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to intervene in the issue saying Chief Minister Raman Singh was taking necessary steps.

The Chhattisgarh High Court asked for a detailed report within 10 days.

At least 11 women died and 72 others were admitted to hospital on Tuesday after they underwent sterilization surgery as part of the state government-funded free family planning camps that were held between October and February.

The health programme was aimed at controlling India’s billion-plus population. The state government gives Rs. 1,400 to each of the women who undergo the surgery.