MP: Women forced to rest on corridor floors after family planning surgeries

The hospital staff have been chasing numbers to fulfill targets despite a shortage of beds and other basic amenities.

Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): The family members and relatives strongly criticised the officials for making scores of women rest on the corridor floors after performing family planning operations on them. The angry family members tried to contact officials but to no avail. The incident took place at a community hospital in Vijaypur here.

The agitated relatives criticised what they termed as grave lapses on the part of the authorities and the clear lack of resources at government hospitals. As part of a two-day drive, which began on Thursday, the family planning surgeries were conducted. The hospital staff have been chasing numbers to fulfill targets despite a shortage of beds and other basic amenities.

The perturbing pictures of women lying on the floor at low 9-degree temperature after being operated upon have come to the fore from Vijaypur, 150 km from the district headquarters. A total of 77 women underwent surgery on Thursday and another 17 till 11 am on Friday. The hospital does not even have stretchers or ambulance service, forcing family members to carry women from the operation theatre to the general ward.

In the absence of beds, mattresses or even quilts, women were made to rest on the floor in the corridors. With the night peeking and a drop in the temperature, family members had to arrange for a blanket to keep them warm. To top it off, Thursday night recorded a power failure, due to which women were operated upon in the dark with the help of torchlight.

The camp is managed by only two doctors working day in and day out. Shortage of doctors and poor medical infrastructure added with the pressure of achieving the target against all odds complicated the situation. The aggrieved relatives tried to contact Chief Medical & Health Officer (CMHO) Dr BL Yadav but to no avail.