Sterilisation tragedy, banned drugs and Baiga tribe of India

After the death of 13 women in the botched up sterilisation camps in Bilaspur district, 

the Chhattisgarh Government has imposed ban on six suspected medicines. 

The medicines were used in Pendari sterilisation camp in Bilaspur district. 

The Director, Health Services have instructed chemist shops not to sell these drugs.

According to official information, the quality of these medicines was suspected and hence the decision was taken. The samples of these drugs will be sent to Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata for quality check.Controller, Food and Drug Administration Department has released batch number and manufacturer names of the banned drugs.

The drugs manufactured by M/s Technical Lab and Pharma Pvt. Ltd Haridwar, M/s Mahavar Pharma Pvt. Ltd. Khamardih Raipur, M/s Regan Laboratories Hisar, M/s Hampton Industries Sanjay Nagar Raipur and M/S G Pharma Indore have been banned in the State, the Press release stated.

(http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/chandigarh/six-drugs-used-in-botched-sterilisation-camp-banned.html)

Khelan Bai, the grandmother of a deceased victim, who died after she underwent a sterilisation surgery at a government mass sterilisation camp, mourns in her house at Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh November 14, 2014. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

Indra Bai, the mother of a deceased victim who died after she underwent a sterilisation surgery at a government mass sterilisation camp, holds a child as she mourns in her house at Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh November 14, 2014. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

A woman, who underwent a sterilization surgery at a government mass sterilisation "camp", sits in hospital bed at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) hospital in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

Narain, 8, holds a photo of his 30-year-old mother Phoolbai, who died after she underwent sterilisation surgery at a government mass sterilisation "camp", at his home in Aamsena village in Bilaspur district, in Chhattisgarh, November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

Policemen stand outside Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) hospital where several women, who underwent a sterilisation surgery at a government mass sterilisation "camp", are treated in Bilaspur district, in Chhattisgarh, November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

Government mass sterilisation camp of Chhattisgarh: On November 8, about 83 women had undergone surgeries at a sterilisation camp. Later, almost all of them, aged below 32, were hospitalised after they developed post-operative complications.
The doctor who conducted sterilisation surgeries on 83 women at government orgainsed camp held at Nemichand Jain Cancer and Research Centre at Pendari village in Takhatpur, Chhattisgrah has been taken into police custody.

The Chhattisgarh government has suspended the sale of six drugs used in tubectomies in the government-organised sterilisation camps in Bilaspur district.

These drugs are tablet Ibrufen-400 manufactured by M/s Technical Lab and Pharma Ltd, Haridwar, tab Ciprosin- 500 (M/s Mahawar Pharma Pvt Ltd, Khamardih Raipur), injection Lignocaine and Lignocaine HCL ((M/s Regain Laboratories, Hisar), Absorbent cotton wool (M/s Hampton Industries, Raipur) and Zielone lotion (M/s G Pharma, Indore), it added.
(http://www.lokchetna.in/chhattisgarh-sterilisation-tragedy-death-toll-at-13-doctor-arrested.html)

Spurious drugs: Drugs that were found to be contaminated were Ciprocin-500 (made by Mahawar Pharma) and Ibuprofen-400 mg (made by Technical Lab).
As a result manufacturing licenses of for those drugs given to two companies - Mahawar Pharma Pvt Ltd, Raipur and Technical Lab and Pharma Pvt Ltd Haridwar - were suspended by the State Drugs Controller of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.
(http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poor-drug-quality-may-have-caused-chhattisgarh-surgery-deaths/)

Drug sample report confirms presence of rat poison: A drug sample report has confirmed the use of sub-standard medicines and the presence of zinc phosphide used as rat poison in the Ciprocin-500 tablets allegedly given to the victims in the tragedy.
(http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-sterilisation-deaths-government-concedes-medicines-contained-rat-poison-624652)
(http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/chhattisgarh-sterilisation-deaths-drug-sample-report-confirms-presence-of-rat-poison/345815)

Protected tribe Baiga were sterilised: Despite the government prohibiting the sterilisation of people belonging to this tribe, many Baiga women have been sterilised in the interior villages of Bilaspur over the years.

pic credit: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22010/22010-h/22010-h.htm

The Baiga tribe is among the most primitive in central India, confined to just a few forested hamlets in the border districts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Although the government has spent several crores on schemes of their welfare, they continue to be among the most deprived communities.

Most news papers covered in depth report
Dainik Bhaskar/Bilspur edition/16th November 2014

The women don't know that they have been notified as a protected tribe and their sterilisation is prohibited. All of them claimed that they had not received any cash incentive for undergoing the operation, as mandated by the government.
(http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/many-women-of-protected-tribe-sterilised-they-got-no-cash-only-5-eggs-half-kg-dal/)

#author expresses his sincere thanks for sharing news items from referred sources and picture credit to REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee 

As a result, the manufacturing licenses for those drugs given to two companies — Mahawar Pharma Pvt Ltd, Raipur and Technical Lab and Pharma Pvt Ltd, Haridwar — were suspended by the State Drugs Controller of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poor-drug-quality-may-have-caused-chhattisgarh-surgery-deaths/#sthash.slUC1qva.dpuf

Drugs that were found to be contaminated were Ciprocin-500 (made by Mahawar Pharma) and Ibuprofen-400 mg (made by Technical Lab). - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poor-drug-quality-may-have-caused-chhattisgarh-surgery-deaths/#sthash.slUC1qva.dpuf

Drugs that were found to be contaminated were Ciprocin-500 (made by Mahawar Pharma) and Ibuprofen-400 mg (made by Technical Lab). - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poor-drug-quality-may-have-caused-chhattisgarh-surgery-deaths/#sthash.slUC1qva.dpuf

Drugs that were found to be contaminated were Ciprocin-500 (made by Mahawar Pharma) and Ibuprofen-400 mg (made by Technical Lab). - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poor-drug-quality-may-have-caused-chhattisgarh-surgery-deaths/#sthash.slUC1qva.dpuf