{"id":320830,"date":"2020-03-06T08:32:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T08:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=320830"},"modified":"2020-03-11T11:05:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T11:05:47","slug":"what-happens-to-the-wombless-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/what-happens-to-the-wombless-women\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens to the wombless women?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ejZID_5yu-0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>At age 12, Sarita Tai (name changed) was married off to a sugar-cane cutter, and by the age of 17 she was already a mother of three kids. By 20, she had her uterus removed, all because the doctor she visited told her she would develop cancer. His solution was simple &#8211; she would have to undergo hysterectomy. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Having had no access to education or awareness throughout her life and with three young kids facing an uncertain future without their mother, the decision was easy for Sarita. She claims to have paid Rs. 50,000 for the surgery- although Sarita has no receipts, documents, or even reports from the hospital to suggest any of it had ever happened. This, she again claims, is because the hospital did not provide her any documents. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>\u201cWhat made you go to the doctor, tai?\u201d asked this correspondent. \u201cI was 20 years old. I used to have frequent pain in lower abdomen, backache, heavy bleeding and thick white vaginal discharge,\u201d replied Sarita tai, now a 45-year-old grandmother to two grandsons.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cWas there any improvement after the surgery?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cNo. The bleeding stopped but my body hasn\u2019t gotten rid of other problems. In fact, I have got additional health problems now,\u201d she complained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/what-happens-to-the-wombless-women\/12-1-8\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-320875\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-320875 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-1-300x213.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"692\" height=\"492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-1-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-1-1024x726.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-1-100x70.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/a>33 years ago, few weeks after her marriage, abject poverty pushed Tai to take up work as a sugar-cane cutter in Beed, Maharashtra. She began migrating with her husband to western Maharashtra and its neighbouring states in search of livelihood in the sugarcane fields. Working at a sugarcane field is extremely laborious and back-breaking, especially for women. On top of it, the 12-16 hour schedule without a single day of leave for months at a stretch, makes live miserable for these women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">However, gynaecological issues connected to menstruation are a major hindrance to regular attendance at the sugarcane farms. Absence of even one day from work costs the family heavy penalties, which they cannot afford. This is also one major reason why many women like Sarita, especially from Beed, did not question the doctor\u2019s advice on getting hysterectomies done on them, even without ample tests to confirm their chances of cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Unsurprisingly enough, a look around Beed and a few visits to its hospitals gives one a picture of a malpractice that has engulfed far too many women and left them womb-less.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Take the example of Kaij, a taluka in Beed, where, according to a survey by the Navchetana Sarvangin Vikas Kendra in 2018, 48 per cent of the women within the age group of 12-48 have undergone hysterectomy. Like Sarita, most of these women were advised by their doctors at private hospitals to undergo surgery \u2013 all undocumented, as far as providing receipts and reports to the women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/what-happens-to-the-wombless-women\/12-4-9\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-320869\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-320869 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-4-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-4-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-4-696x458.jpg 696w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-4-741x486.jpg 741w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-4-638x420.jpg 638w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-4.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a>The reporter could personally reach out to over 25 women across Beed, 15 of whom where in Kaij itself. These women shared the same history of hysterectomies done on them \u2013 most of them in their 20s when they underwent the surgeries. Although in their 40s, they looked old and frail, with wrinkles on their faces, and physical features typical of 60-plus women. As per a gynaecologist from Halo Medical Foundation, Shubhangi Ahankari, the uterus removal surgery accelerates the process of ageing in women and the body can go through hormonal disbalances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">While all of these women underwent surgeries to avoid the risk of cancer, they claim their health has only deteriorated over the years. \u201cEven after the operation, our lower abdominal pain didn\u2019t go away. Sometimes, I feel rapid heartbeats, breathlessness, including the bodily weakness. The vision has diminished as happens when one crosses the age of 65,\u201d recounts Savita Bai, 45, (name changed).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Some common health issues could be observed among all these old women such as rapid heartbeats, uneasiness, pain in lower and upper abdomen, in some cases reproductive health problem as they complained. Tehelka corespondent found similar ailments among all these women, which Savita Bai was suffering from. Shubhangi Ahankari claimed that it\u2019s under extreme health situations that the uterus of a young girl is removed. And she said if any woman has the chance of developing cancer or is suffering from prolapse uterine problem or over-bleeding, even then her uterus is only removed between the age of 39 to 49.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Despite outrage, the menace hasn\u2019t stopped<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cMadam, I will get my uterus removed this time. The doctor told me I might develop cancer due to heavy bleeding,\u201d says 27-year-old Malti* as she takes a break for lunch with her husband from a sugarcane farm at Beed, Maharashtra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Malti, who is a mother of two daughters, aged 8 and 12, is planning to undergo uterus removal surgery after she returns to her village in Osmanabad once the sugar-cutting season ends in March this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cIf I don\u2019t get my uterus removed as soon as possible, I will definitely die of cancer. We are working hard to arrange the money for the operation,\u201d says Malti as she turns to her husband with teary eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Missing a day from work due to periods would also mean a heavy penalty from the Muqadam (contractor), which they can\u2019t afford. On top it, the fear of \u2018developing cancer\u2019 due to heavy bleeding during periods looms large over them. \u201cI can\u2019t pay daand (penalty) ever time I take a leave during my period pain. Just three days ago I paid him Rs.1500 daand for taking leave for three days. I was unable to work due to menstrual pain,\u201d Malti continued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Another woman sugarcane cutter, who would be undergoing the hysterectomy post the sugarcane crushing season, said, \u201cI had undergone checkup for three times, took pills but the problem of white discharge and lower abdominal pain is not improving. The doctors said if I don\u2019t get my uterus removed something critical will happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cDid the doctor tell you what kind of problem you would suffer from?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">\u201cYes, cancer,\u201d pat came the reply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/what-happens-to-the-wombless-women\/12-6-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-320871\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-320871 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-6-300x154.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"664\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-6-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-6-768x394.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-6-696x357.jpg 696w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-6-819x420.jpg 819w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-6.jpg 860w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px\" \/><\/a>Sitting alongside the farmers, who were lunching together, was the Muqadam. It was a coincidence for this correspondent to meet him. Seeing this journalist, a lady sugarcane cutter in her 30s angrily said, \u201cMadam, look at this man. He is the real culprit behind our huge medical bills. He doesn\u2019t give us leave when we fall sick and instead make us pay penalty.\u201d Reports of these contractors exploiting the labourers using criminal practices has been a trend here for many decades.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Challenging manipulation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Doctor is next to God: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">A group of women in Vanjawadi village in Beed gave the same narrative that the doctors advised them for the hysterectomy as their uterus had been \u2018severely damaged\u2019 and any delay could result in cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320867 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-2-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-2-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-2-324x420.jpg 324w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-2.jpg 378w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">During the interview, many victims confirmed the doctors had told them their uteruses had been damaged and the surgery was inevitable. These doctors even went to the extent of telling them that now since they had multiple children, they no longer needed the uterus, to take a yes from them for the surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">In a way, these narratives created by the doctors in the drought-stricken Marathwada region have manipulated poor, rural women living or working there that hysterectomy is the cure for all problems. These women have been conditioned to believe the surgery somehow reduces all gynaecological issues, even period pain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Despite of there being reports suggesting connections between the doctors and the contractors of the sugarcane farms, and how the doctors, in fact, could have vested interests when they suggest hysterectomies to the labourers, so far no credible action has been taken to punish either of the parties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Cancer, rumour or real:<\/strong> One of the country\u2019s best cancer research institute, Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital is situated in Barshi, Maharashtra. Many rural health camps and cancer detection clinics are set up by the hospital from time to time to screen indicative cases of cancer. Many village women have benefitted from these camps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">The question now is that if so many women from this area had real chances of having cancer, why haven\u2019t the medical professionals reported on any alarming number of cancer-related cases? Why hasn\u2019t an alert been raised on this critical issue? Why was there no investigation over the way these doctors carried out these surgeries? Since the local doctors removed the uteruses of the women for the fear of cancer, did they undertake the precancerous cells examination test before conducting such surgeries, which is mandatory before carrying out a cancer operation? Did the doctors perform medical counselling before and after doing the operation on the patients?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">No trust in public hospitals: Surprisingly, majority of the people this reporter spoke to in Marathwada said that they preferred private hospitals over public ones when it came to healthcare. The reasons are same for all. Most of them cannot afford to take leaves on health grounds as it leads to loss of their daily wages. Also, prolonged treatment and drug use means more transportation cost, medication cost, doctor charges, etc. Private hospitals, on the other hand, promises immediate and faster solutions to their health problems. This means that some unscrupulous doctors from these private hospitals take advantage of the patients\u2019 gullibility and instil them with fears of diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Not much action: <\/strong>After many media reports in May 2019 highlighted the malpractices of these doctors and the shocking rate of hysterectomies was revealed, Maharashtra came heavily under the scanner. A seven-member committee was appointed to look into the matter and new directives were released under which private hospitals now have to seek permission to carry out the procedure from either the district civil surgeon or the taluka health officer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Tehelka spoke to the National Commission for Women (NCW), which claimed it had taken cognisance of the report when it was published last year. The NCW said it had taken up the matter with the Maharashtra government to take strict action in the matter, and also sought the action taken for rehabilitation and mainstreaming of victims of the reported atrocities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Moreover, there will now be health screening of the women sugarcane labourers before they migrate and after they return from the sugarcane farms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/what-happens-to-the-wombless-women\/12-9\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-320874\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-320874 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-9-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-9-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-9-356x220.jpg 356w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2020\/03\/12-9.jpg 478w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a>However, when this correspondent spoke with the women labourers on the ground, they denied of any such heath screening being done on them before the migration. There is also zero awareness level among the poor women on the hysterectomy or other gynaecological issues such as cervical cancer, fibroid tumour, vaginal white discharge, heavy bleeding, uterine prolapse, endometriosis, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">The state has also not taken any step for health screening of the women who had undergone hysterectomies in the past. Most women are found to have common ailments such as poor eyesight, cardiac pain, abdominal pain as such.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">The figures released by the state show that in three years from 2016 to 2019, some 4,605 women have undergone hysterectomy surgeries in Maharashtra in 99 hospitals. It is also reported that in Beed district, the hysterectomy rate is 14 times more than that for the state or the country. The state health authorities also revealed that they had a record of all the hospitals and doctors who conducted these surgeries in recent years, yet we see no action being taken against them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><em>Tehelka<\/em> also witnessed the situation on the ground. The sugarcane farms have no toilets as as result these women defecate in the jungle; no access to clean drinking water, live in makeshift shanties, no creche facilities for toddlers and many more. No arrangement for sanitary napkins and other facilities for women\u2019s needs. Women working in the farm have less\u00a0 awareness on the menstrual and gynaecological issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Prajakta Dhulap, BBC Marathi journalist, who had done extensive research on the hysterectomy in Maharashtra, said, \u201cWhat about the health rights of a woman after pregnancy? There is much focus on pregnancy and safe childbirth in rural but what is missing is the same level of awareness and focus on the women\u2019s reproductive health system from adolescence to age-old. There is no health policy specific to reproductive health system at rural level.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Human Rights activist Ashok Tangade said, \u201cIt is shameful for the state the so many people migrate every year in search of livelihood. The state has failed to provide employment to its own people. If we have to stop such malpractices and exploitation on the poor, we have to first stop migration in the state and to stop the migration in the state we have to bring alternatives to farming in the drought prone areas that produces sustainable jobs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Many doctors in these districts have been advising women as young as 20 for uterus removal surgeries on utterly flimsy grounds. They have been selling these surgeries as the panacea of all problems for young women in these areas, and reportedly telling them that the failure to remove the uteruses will heighten the risk of cancer.There are a lot of questions we didn\u2019t find any answers to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Unanswered questions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Some of the questions that remained answered are: what about the women now who had hysterectomies? Why there is no directive to check on their present health condition? Why have the affected women not been provided with any aid by the state government, despite having severe medical complications?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">What about that the action against the erring doctors? Is there a collusion between doctors and the farm contractors? The ground investigation points to a collusion between the doctors and the contractors, why has this nexus not been nipped in the bud?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">When there is a clear indication that these labourers lack basic knowledge of menstruation and reproductive, why is the government not initiating mass awareness campaigns in these districts?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Today, the health condition of many women who had already undergone hysterectomy is worsening and there is no state directive to check on their situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"><strong>Q&amp;A<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Dr Ashok Thorat,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Civil Surgeon, Beed district<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Why so many women as young as 20 years old underwent hysterectomy and why?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Frequent vaginal infection due to lack of menstrual and personal hygiene, lack of toilet facility in the sugarcane fields, etc. encompasses factors for undergoing hysterectomy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Can you assure that all the female sugarcane cutters underwent the health checkups, as the new guideline suggests, before migrating for work?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">We have authorised and advised the District Health Officers (DHOs), now it\u2019s upto them to monitor and check on this. I cannot say 100 percent but majority of them have undergone screening Beed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Why there has been no action against the doctors performing unindicated hysterectomy ?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Our investigation says that all the 5,000 women have full case papers, reports and documents and that they had indicated hysterectomy. Also, while investigating the hospitals we found records which prove they had enough reasons to undertake surgery. We didn\u2019t find any case where it can be proven that doctors used force or threat with patients. Moreover, without substantial evidences in old cases, one cannot challenge that the reason given to the patients was actually genuine or not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>But, why most women were given cancer as the reason behind hysterectomy by most doctors?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">Beed don\u2019t have such record.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>Then who is spreading the rumour of cancer?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">I really don\u2019t know. Not the doctors. There were two levels of enquiry\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">district level and state level. There <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">was not a single report we can across where force or threat was used by any doctors to make the women go hysterectomy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">There was a rumour by some NGO that women with unindicated hysterectomy would get them compensation of Rs.50,000 from the state government. As a result, in greed of the compensation many women with indicated hysterectomy lied that they had unindicated hysterectomy. Maybe the women you spoke with are the same women who are hoping to encash benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>How do you plan to improve the situation?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">We are doing health screening in our district to make sure that no unindicated hysterectomy is performed. We have briefed the private practitioners with rules and asked them to go with the medical line of treatment.We have put up compulsory boards of rules on hysterectomy in every private clinic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\"><strong>What about awareness in village level?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">We have anganwadi workers, health workers to assist the locals on ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;\">letters@tehelka.com<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At age 12, Sarita Tai (name changed) was married off to a sugar-cane cutter, and by the age of 17 she was already a mother of three kids. By 20, she had her uterus removed, all because the doctor she visited told her she would develop cancer. His solution was simple &#8211; she would have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":320855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23,2205],"tags":[12739,12744,12740,12743,1467,12747,12745,3740,12738,12746,12742],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320830"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320830"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":320962,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320830\/revisions\/320962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/320855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}