NEW DELHI:The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to apprise it of the steps taken to implement its nine-year-old directions and guidelines on ensuring the safety of the patients, who undergo sterilisation.
“This court in its judgment in Ramakant Rai Vs Union of India had issued certain directions. Additional Solicitor General submits that all the directions with regard to sterilisation have been complied with. However, it is not clear whether the state governments have acted on the directions given by us,” a Bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice U U Lalit said.
The court directed the Centre to prepare a chart indicating the stages of implementation in different states within six weeks and posted the matter to April 17.
On the issue of providing compensation to the deceased victims of the botched surgery, the court asked the Centre to check with the states and file an affidavit on the status of compensation to victims under the Indemnity Scheme.
It also directed Chhattisgarh to file an affidavit on the deaths in the sterilisation camps in Bilaspur district, the action taken against the doctors involved and steps taken to create mass awareness on the issue of sterilisation.
As many as130 women were admitted to different hospitals after they developed post-operative complications at a sterilisation camp organised by the government, with 13 losing their lives.
The directions came during the hearing of a 2012 PIL by Bihar native Devika Biswas, who alleged that in Bihar, sterilization camps were being conducted under torch light and the general anaesthesia was being administered by untrained workers.
The apex court had earlier directed the states to introduce a system of having an approved panel of doctors to limit the number of persons entitled to carry out the sterilisation procedures. The court had also directed the states to prepare and circulate a checklist, which every doctor should be required to fill in before carrying out the procedures.