Woman dies during tubectomy, locals gherao district headquarters hospital in Odisha

JEYPORE: Tension prevailed at the Jeypore district headquarters hospital (DHH) after locals gheraoed and reportedly attacked the hospital staff following the death of a woman during a tubectomy procedure here on Thursday. The deceased was identified as 33-year-old Bodnaik Suryteja of Balei village under Lamtaput block of Koraput district. 

Sources said as per the Central Health Ministry guidelines, the Gynaecology department of the Jeypore DHH conducted a tubectomy on Suryteja, who is one of the 28 beneficiaries of the National Health Mission’s (NHM) Family Planning Programme. 

She, however, succumbed during the operation. When the news of her death spread, locals reached the hospital late in the evening and laid siege to the DHH demanding strict action against gynecologist Susmita Dash who conducted the procedure on the deceased, and compensation to the family. The agitators also reportedly attacked the hospital superintendent RN Mishra and other staff over the issue.

When the situation went out of control, senior police officials reached the area and deployed other policemen on the hospital premises for the maintenance of law and order. 

The situation was however brought under control after the hospital administration assured the agitators of conducting a proper inquiry into the matter. An unnatural death case was also registered at Jeypore Sadar police station in this regard.

Meanwhile, the chief district medical officer (CDMO), Koraput, Arun Padhi visited the hospital on Friday to review the situation.

“The health administration is aware of the incident and necessary inquiry in this regard will be taken up as per norms,” Padhi said further clarifying that the woman’s death did not take place due to negligence by hospital staff.

Jeypore Sadar IIC Iswar Tandi said after receiving postmortem reports, police will take the help of the medical board to ascertain the reason behind the woman’s death.