Last week, a government-aided tubectomy camp held in Khat village, 40km off Nagpur, witnessed a tense situation when four women in a makeshift operation theatre were left sedated and unattended for at least four hours. This incident occurred after the surgeon administered anesthesia and took an extended tea break.
The surgeon, Dr. Bhalavi, who is affiliated with a rural hospital in Parseoni, was assigned to the camp located 50km away from his base. Dr. Bhalavi left the camp for a prolonged tea break and returned to the primary health centre (PHC), where the camp was organized, at 7 pm after being alerted by restive villagers and district officials.
An inquiry team arrived at the PHC on Tuesday to investigate the matter. They recorded statements from the staff and Dr Bhalavi, who claimed that he had experienced a hypoglycemic attack due to his diabetes and went out for tea. However, locals alleged that the doctor left in a hurry for Nagpur, leaving the patients unattended. He returned later in the evening to complete the scheduled operations.
The camp was meant to perform eight surgeries, including seven tubectomies and one vasectomy, as part of the central government’s family planning program regularly organized by the public health department at PHCs.
Dr. Ajay Dawle, the district health officer, established a three-member probe panel to investigate the incident. He confirmed that all eight operations were eventually successful but did not provide further details. It remains unclear whether the same surgeon completed the remaining four operations.
A senior health official mentioned that Dr. Bhalavi, who is a diabetic, started feeling unwell after performing four operations and requested tea, which was not immediately available at the PHC. It is believed that his discomfort was due to hypoglycemia. The official also dispelled reports that other doctors had to step in and emphasized that it was Dr. Bhalavi who returned to complete the day’s work, as accredited tubectomy surgeons are not readily available.
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