The Reality of Family Planning and Botched up Sterilization

 

Krishnendu Nair is 20-year-old law student intent on improving the justice-delivery system of the country. She believes that even the smallest unit of a society holds the power to profoundly transform a community. She enjoys spending time with children and getting to know the world from their perspective. In her free time, she’s most likely be found in the company of books, surfing online content or watching documentaries that unveil hard-hitting realities of life.

Women’s Health: The Reality of Family Planning and Botched up Sterilization

We, Indians, take pride in saying that India was the first country in the world to adopt a population control policy in the 1950s but at the same time we keep forgetting that we have failed successively to achieve any concrete results. Despite the government’s long-standing goal to achieve population stabilization, India is still gaining about 18 million people each year, with more than half its population within reproductive age. In such a situation, the authorities are trying hard to get a large number of people sterilized. There is nothing wrong with sterilization surgeries as long as it is consensual, fully informed and carried out with utmost care. But why target only women?

It is clear that the family planning policy of India overtly focuses on female sterilization. The Chhattisgarh government alone had planned for 150 000 female sterilizations in 2014, while its estimate for vasectomies is only 8000.

Vasectomy has failed to form a major part of the sterilization drive even though it is far less complicated and painful. This can be attributed to the patriarchal structure of our society. According to health activists, rural women are under enormous pressure from husbands and in-laws to not go in for any oral contraceptive method or injections.

To add to the woes of women, maintaining proper standards for implementation in family planning policies does not seem to be the concern of people working towards fulfilment of family planning objectives. In November 2014, the tragic death of 15 women at the sterilization camp in Chhattisgarh garnered international attention. More than 80 women underwent surgery for laparoscopic tubectomies at a free government-run camp, shortly after which about 60 women fell ill. The Newspapers were soon flooded with the report that the operations in Chhattisgarh were carried out by a single doctor and his assistant in about five hours. The relatives alleged that the health workers herded the women like cattle. It’s shocking to note that operations were performed on top of classroom desks and that too in a school that did not even have the facility of running water. Thankfully, criminal cases were filed and the Chief Minister of the state accepted that there was serious negligence.

Subjecting rural women to such botched up sterilization affairs are not rare occurrences in India. In past too, people have died and in some cases sustained permanent injuries due to negligence or want of post-operative care. The need, therefore, is to critically analyze the government policy and to find a redressal to such problems is urgent.

According to Dr. A.L. Sharada, Director, Population First, a Mumbai-based NGO, “Though in principle, the government adopted a target-free approach in 1995, targets continue to haunt the service providers. Governments and camps are organized to achieve the targets.” As pointed out by a health activist, targets are set like cricket scores to impress the funding agencies but the care taken to perform surgeries is inadequate. Community health workers are also paid for bringing women into the camps or clinics for sterilization.

It has to be understood that the target class is poor women which is a sort of double discrimination. Also, it is easy to attract such women to undergo surgeries on the ploy of incentives. These incentives include everything from a sewing machine to the chance of winning a car. The statistics suggest that the budget allocated for family planning schemes in past few years were used by the authorities for providing incentives instead of utilizing it for providing better services (contraceptive methods, equipment, transportation, and staff expenses).

As is clear from the above instances, the quality of treatment meted out to the people to be sterilized is substandard. Often the surgeries are conducted under unhygienic conditions, are done hastily and the aspect of post-operative care is not even thought about.

Sterilization camps were started in 1970 under the family planning program in India with the help of the UN Population Fund and the World Bank. A total of 1,434 people died from such botched sterilization procedures in India between 2003 and 2012 and the government has paid compensation for 568 deaths.

The gloomy state of affairs has also prompted international organizations to look into this matter. A 2012 report by Human Rights Watch urged the government to set up an independent grievance redressal system to allow people to report coercion and poor quality services at sterilization centers. But there is little evidence that this has been implemented.

A study has found that engaging men in family planning can substantially improve contraceptive practice and reduce sexual violence among married couples. The government is trying to increase the availability of options, for both men and women, under national family planning scheme but that is not enough. It is true that some awareness campaigns launched with catchy slogans advising people to have fewer children have worked to some level. Mass distribution of free condoms has helped bring down the birth rate over the decades.

The Supreme Court has played instrumental role in realizing the goals of family planning and the need for proper healthcare facilities to women. In a landmark court ruling on September 14th 2016, it ordered that all sterilization camps across the country be closed. The Court also urged state governments to substantially increase compensation paid to women and their families for botched sterilization procedures. But simply paying off compensations from taxpayer’s money and not using adequate safeguards is not justified. The whole system at present is infected with corruption and it needs to be addressed urgently because innocent lives are dependent on it.

Thus, there is a need for people friendly schemes and without victimization of women in order to ensure their health. Informed choices and availability of choices is the need of the hour. The recent Supreme Court’s recommendations and directions to Central Government are laudable but the real problem during implementation of policies at grass root level needs to be resolved. Further, the doctors associated with running sterilization camps need to be cross-checked.

To drive forward the idea of equality, we must all pledge to ensure proper sexual and reproductive health of women.  

Opinions are of the writer.

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosofutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbethttps://bsport.fithttps://onbet88.ooohttps://i9bet.bizhttps://hi88.ooohttps://okvip.athttps://f8bet.athttps://fb88.cashhttps://vn88.cashhttps://shbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩaAG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88
 

Your browser is out of date. It has security vulnerabilities and may not display all features on this site and other sites.

Please update your browser using one of modern browsers (Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox, IE 10).

X