Con docs rampant across AP

HYSTERECTOMY-III

Roli Srivastava | TNN

Hyderabad: The cases of hysterectomy performed on women in villages of Medak by general surgeons and local doctors is not limited to this district alone. Hyderabad-based doctors say that hysterectomies (removal of uterus) are rampant across the state and women are conned into paying huge sums for this surgery where they lose a vital organ.

City-based gynaecologists point out that while such cases routinely surfaced from the Andhra belt in the past, cases are being reported from other districts as well. However, government officials and ministers are unaware of such cases, even though hundreds of such procedures are being performed at hardly any distance from the city. The hysterectomy procedures in Narsapur and Kowdipally mandals of Medak, for instance, are undertaken in clinics on the main road of Hyderabad-Medak highway. But, neither district officials nor local leaders are aware of any such practice here.

Gynaecologists said apart from Medak, cases have surfaced from other districts such as Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda. They point out that registered medical practitioners (RMPs) and general surgeons operate upon illiterate women. These procedures should be ideally undertaken by qualified gynaecologists.

“I have seen a case of a 20-year-old girl who had undergone a hysterectomy,” says Dr Shanta Kumari, vice-president of Obstetrician and Gynaecological Society of Hyderabad and associate professor in Deccan Medical College, Owaisi Hospital. She says, “Only a gynaecologist knows who needs a hysterectomy. Hysterectomy should be done in women who have indicate medical reasons such as cancer, very big fibroids where they have bleeding problems or ovarian tumors.” “It is high time that we did something about it. We have been observing this for some time now- girls in their 20s hysterectomised. The RMP practice is ruling the roost in these areas. We need to educate at the grassroot level,” says Dr Jayanti Reddy, director, JJ Hospital and secretary, Indian Menopause Society, who has seen such cases in Mahbubnagar.
Based on reports in this newspaper, industries minister Dr J Geeta Reddy has asked Medak collector to probe the matter and submit a detailed report. “We have to get to the bottom of this matter. This is a sensitive issue involving people’s lives,” said Geeta Reddy, whose constituency is Gajwal, a neighbouring mandal of Narsapur and Kowdipally mandals.

WRONG CUTS

MP, MLA clueless about surgeries
Hyderabad: Medak district collector B Venkatesham said no cases of hysterectomy has been brought to his notice either by the public or by social groups.
He was reacting to the reports carried in this newspaper about hysterectomies being performed on young women in Narsapur and Kowdipally in Medak district.

Local leaders from the area too are unaware of this practice. Sarwe Satyanarayrana, member of Parliament from Siddipet constituency (Narsapur and Kowdipally fall under this constituency) said he would try to collect information on the matter and seek action against those found guilty. Narsapur MLA Sunita Lakshma Reddy too said she is clueless.

But, Dr K Rajyalakshmi, nominated member of the legislative council in Medak said she would be taking medical teams to these villages and undertake check-ups. Centre for Action Research and People’s Development (CARPED), a social group that works in these mandals, has submitted medical reports of women who have undergone the surgeries and based on them an in-depth study would be carried out soon, she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Narsing Rao from Narsapur mandal of Medak clarified that no women under 20 had undergone hysterectomy in his nursing home. “The age of women is 25, 28 or 30 or over 40,” he said.

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Times of India 22 June 2007

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