HYDERABAD: Exposing the worryingly low doctor-patient ratio in the State, a family planning camp organised in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district had to be called off after the only surgeon in charge of performing the procedures fell ill.
Due to the pandemic, the camp was being organised after nearly two years and it received an overwhelming response with as many as 110 women from Rajapet and Turkapally mandals turning up. The doctor, a laparoscopic surgeon, had retired from government service and was re-hired on contract basis to carry out the procedure. He is the sole doctor assigned for this purpose in the district.
"We had scheduled 50 family planning procedures, however 110 women turned up. While we were conducting the pre-surgical checkups, the doctor had a mild fever which aggravated, leading to calling off the procedures," Dr B Sambasiva Rao, District Medical Health Officer, Yadadri, said.
50 women were given Xylocaine jabs
Alarmingly, the 50 women originally scheduled for the procedure had been administered a test dose of Xylocaine injection to ascertain whether they were allergic to local anaesthesia that would have been mandatory before the procedure.
No woman reported reactions to this, informed the DMHO. Their detailed case sheets have now been prepared and the procedures have been rescheduled for April 5.
However, the families of these women and others are concerned over the health of the surgeon as there is no other doctor available in the district to perform the procedure. It is learnt that with not many doctors available, each district has only one such doctor appointed for family planning procedures.