A community health worker in Hazaribag has accused hospital authorities of making her a scapegoat after she exposed shocking medical negligence, including a tubectomy operation conducted under mobile phone flashlights. Sarita Devi, a saahiya at the Keredari Community Health Centre (CHC), met with local MP Manish Jaiswal on Tuesday to protest a show-cause notice served to her for recording and making public the incident that occurred on December 13.
Allegations of Gross Medical Lapses
In her detailed complaint, Sarita Devi made a series of grave allegations. She claimed that there was no doctor present in the team that conducted the tubectomy procedures at the CHC on that day. The situation escalated when a power failure occurred during the surgery, and the operating team resorted to using mobile phone torches to continue the procedure. Sarita stated she was not inside the Operation Theatre (OT) initially but rushed in after hearing a patient's cries, only to witness the alarming scene.
"I heard the cries of a patient and rushed into the OT, whose door had been broken for weeks. I saw surgeries being conducted using mobile phone flashlights. I can say without hesitation that there was no doctor in the team," Sarita told media. She asserted the surgery was ongoing around 7:26 PM, and the three doctors officially posted at the CHC were absent.
MP Intervenes, Demands Action and Withdrawal of Notice
Hazaribag MP Manish Jaiswal took up the matter seriously. He promised to speak to concerned officials, including District Civil Surgeon Dr. Ashok Kumar, regarding the lapses. Jaiswal issued a clear directive: "You take proper action and withdraw the notice served to the saahiya; otherwise, I will take further action in this regard."
While acknowledging that videography inside the OT showing patients' faces was inappropriate, the MP emphasized the seriousness of the saahiya's allegations. "The allegations raised by the saahiya are serious. I will demand strict action against those responsible. Even a report about a tubectomy of a pregnant woman is another serious matter," Jaiswal added, referring to a second similar incident on the same day involving a woman identified as Kanchan Devi.
Wider Claims of Misconduct and Official Response
Sarita Devi also submitted a formal complaint to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Shashi Prakash Singh. In it, she leveled charges against Dr. Vinay Kumar, one of the CHC's three doctors, for allegedly misbehaving with women staff and reporting to duty in an inebriated condition. She attached copies of earlier complaints from staff against him. She further accused the CHC's medical officer in charge, Dr. Nafis Anjum, of misbehaving with female staff and called for a proper inquiry.
When questioned by the MP, Civil Surgeon Dr. Ashok Kumar reportedly failed to give a satisfactory reply as to why no doctor was in the team. Regarding the lapses, Dr. Kumar shifted responsibility, stating an outsourcing agency, the Green Youth Foundation, was entrusted with the procedures and it was their duty to deploy doctors and nurses.
On the specific case of Kanchan Devi, Dr. Kumar clarified that she had delivered a baby girl on December 2, suggesting a pregnancy test can remain positive post-delivery. However, a retired doctor, speaking anonymously, countered that performing a tubectomy on a woman with a recent delivery and a positive pregnancy test was against medical protocol.
Sarita Devi maintains her stand, urging authorities to review CCTV footage instead of targeting her. "Instead of making me a scapegoat, officials should check the CCTV footage, and the truth will come out," she asserted. The scandal came to light after a video of the December 13 procedure went viral on Sunday, putting the Keredari CHC under intense public scrutiny.
