M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, June 18: Compensation for a ‘failed tubectomy’ is yet to reach a woman in Palamu despite nearing one year in between the surgery and the demand for the compensation.
The woman, Sinki Kumari (26) and her husband R Kumar hail from village Sajajal under the Hussainabad sub division in Palamu. They have two children. She had her tubectomy on February 23, 2021, at the sub-divisional hospital Chhatarpur in Palamu. Dr S K Ravi was the surgeon on duty then.
After 5 months, she again conceived and a pregnancy test proved her to be pregnant. This shocked Sinki and everybody in the village as they all knew she had her family planning measure.
Sinki Kumari sought compensation for the failed tubectomy. She lodged a written complaint to this effect with the medical officer in charge of the sub-divisional hospital Chhatarpur seeking compensation for the failed tubectomy.
She registered her complaint and demanded compensation on July 22, 2021. Since then, Sinki is seeking compensation and till June 18, 2022, her claim for compensation remains unsettled.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has laid a provision for compensation in cases where tubectomy goes wrong (either a woman gains pregnancy or dies after tubectomy).
There are two sets of compensation. It is Rs 2 lakhs if a woman having a tubectomy dies in the hospital or within 8 days from the discharge from the hospital.
A pregnant woman is to fill out a claim form for the family planning indemnity scheme. The surgeon who does tubectomy is to fill a risk bond booklet and in many cases, the surgeon either does not fill the booklet in time or fills it half or incomplete. The claim is thoroughly verified by a team of 3 doctors (minimum).
In the case of Sinki Kumari, the 3 doctors who verified her claim under the indemnity scheme are Palamu Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar, surgeon Sushil Pandey and gynaecologist S S Horo.
A meagre Rs 30,000 as compensation is given where tubectomy fails in the event of a woman becoming pregnant again. There is a whole lot of official procedure for getting it as well which is very cumbersome.
Palamu Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar confirmed that Sinki Kumari is a case of failed tubectomy and she is entitled to get a sum of Rs 30,000 as compensation.
The CS said her papers for a claim for compensation under the family planning indemnity scheme are under active consideration and in a few weeks from now she will get her compensation.
The final call to pay compensation is to come from the state health department and hence this is again a big issue that exists, said sources.
The civil surgeon further said the delay is unfortunate but it does occur. The surgeon under whose supervision her tubectomy was conducted has meanwhile been transferred from Palamu. The surgeon’s certification regarding her tubectomy was done on February 23, 2021, and is mandated for the compensation.
Dr Anil Kumar said, “We will soon get this certification from the surgeon concerned who is right now posted elsewhere in Jharkhand. We will locate the surgeon without any problem.”
Gynecologist Dr S S Horo said the tubectomy does fail but it is very rare. The fallopian tubes that are taken care of in tubectomy get ‘recanalised’ that is get activated and pregnancy sets in.
Dr Horo said failed tubectomy should not be seen as any botched-up family planning operation or it should not cast any shadow on the surgeon that does it. It happens despite the best care and efforts.
A failed tubectomy is not life-threatening except for a sad feeling that pregnancy has set in again. Cases of failed tubectomy have been reported in Palamu even in the past. Some time ago, a similar complaint about failed tubectomy in Nilamber Pitamberpur block (old name Lesliganj) was reported and the woman was compensated for her failed tubectomy.
CS Dr Anil Kumar said, “We are committed to giving Sinki Kumari her due to compensation.”
