HYDERABAD: The State government will file a criminal case against Dr Joel Sunil Kumar, a retired Double Puncture Laparoscopy (DPL) surgeon, who is alleged to have been responsible for the death of four women in botched family planning surgeries at a mass sterilisation camp held at the Community Health Centre in Ibrahimpatnam in Rangareddy district on August 25.
The State government has ordered disciplinary action against 13 medical department personnel, including Dr Naga Jyothi, Deputy District Medical & Health Officer who was also the DPL Camp Officer, Chandrakala, Head Nurse, Dr Geetha, Deputy Civil Surgeon, Dr Srinivas, Medical Officer and Alivelu and Mangamma, Supervisors of Madgual Primary Health Centre, Dr Kiran, Medical Officer, Jayalatha, Supervisor of Manchal PHC, Dr Poonam, Medical Officer, Janakamma, Supervisor of Dandumailaram PHC and Hospital Superintendent Dr Sridhar.
Meanwhile, Dr Jhansi Lakshmi, District Coordinator of Hospital Services, Rangareddy has been directed to return to her original post of Civil Surgeon Specialist at the Shadnagar Community Health Centre. Dr Swaraja Lakshmi, District Medical and Health officer (DMHO) of Rangareddy district has been transferred to the office of the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare here as a Joint Director.
The government took action against these personnel based on a report submitted by a five-member panel, which also included Director of Public Health (DPH) G Srinivasa Rao.
Guidelines for surgeries
Further, to avoid the recurrence of such incidents, the government on Saturday issued a set of guidelines. The DPH has suggested that the permanent family planning surgeries — tubectomy or DPL should be made an integral part of hospital service delivery system.
The DPL acceptor should be kept in the facility for post-operative care for at least 24 hours. As per a pre-scheduled calendar, the beneficiaries should be guided to access services at the hospitals of their choice.
Only 30 ops per day
The recommendations further suggest that the supervisor concerned and medical officer of PHC to make a visit to the house of the beneficiary within 24 hours from discharge and ensure that at least two more visits within one week on subsequent post operative days. As per SOPs, only 30 family planning surgeries should be performed on any given day by a surgeon or an institute.
ACTION AGAINST 13 MED DEPT PERSONNEL
The State government has also ordered disciplinary action against 13 medical department personnel, including Dr Naga Jyothi, Deputy District Medical & Health Officer and Hospital Superintendent Dr Sridhar