BALLARI: Shreedevi Honnappa Hugar and Pushpa Hanumant, who were among the 15 women hospitalised after being injected wrong drug before sterilisation at a primary health centre in Kamalapur, are recovering at the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) here. The district health officer said an employee will be suspended and a departmental enquiry will be conducted.
Health Commissioner Subodh Yadav said, “The junior female health worker wasn’t authorised to give the injections on her own. I have made a recommendation to suspend her. An official order is yet to follow though.”
Speaking to Express, the women narrated the ordeal following the medical negligence at the PHC. Pushpa, a 24-year-old mother of three, said that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) approached her and convinced her to undergo tubectomy at the Kamalapur PHC.
“On Wednesday, the medical staff injected a drug to the 15 women present. After 10-15 minutes, we started experiencing uneasiness. My blood pressure went up and I started vomiting. Later, I fell unconscious and don’t know what happened later,” she said.
Pusha’s husband Hanumant, a farm labourer, said the medical staff started to shift the women to the taluk hospital in Hosapete only after the media and the police arrived at the spot.
Shreedevi (30), who was kept at the Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) for observation, said she is recovering. She had given birth to her second child three months ago.
The attendants of the patients said the VIMS staff asked them to pay bill for blood test, but assured of reimbursing the amount later.
District Health Officer Dr Ramesh Babu told Express, “The other 13 women admitted to the taluk hospital in Hosapete will be discharged soon. All the 15 women are recovering.”
Superintendent of Police Chethan R, on being persistently asked why the police had not taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, said, “We will wait for Thursday to pass. Even on Friday, if no one comes forward, then we will take an opinion from the prosecution department and see if we can take suo motu action.”