Villagers gather at MGM Hospital for family planning surgery. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Feb. 27: A mob led by JMM activists created a ruckus at MGM Medical College and Hospital and blocked the access to it this afternoon after some people were refused family planning surgery.

Some bustee residents and villagers had come to the hospital to be operated as part of a sterilisation camp. However, the camp ended yesterday and the authorities refused to operate, leading to the ruckus.

According to the sterilisation programme, each male undergoing vasectomy would get Rs 1,100 and the woman undergoing tubectomy would be given Rs 600.

The protestors claimed the district civil surgeon’s office was fooling them.

“We were told that the surgeons were ill. But as it was unlikely that all the surgeons fell ill at the same time, we suspected foul play and contacted JMM functionary Anand Behari Dubey to intervene,” said Malti Devi, who was part of the protesting crowd.

She said after the mob staged a blockade in front of MGM, the district civil surgeon came and solved the situation.

Though the operations have been organised at Dhatkidih-based Centre For Family Initiative (CFI), the civil surgeon said they were not at fault.

The doctor, P.C. Hembram, said those who created the ruckus had turned up for the operation after the sterilisation camp came to an end.

“The camp had begun on February 17 and came to an end yesterday. But about 200 men and women turned up at the medical college hospital this morning to undergo the operation. As the surgeon concerned was not there, they resorted to road blockade in front of the hospital,” said the civil surgeon.

Keeping the people’s interest in view, he said, arrangements were made for sterilisation surgeries for those who had come late.

“Though it was late, I ensured that the sterilisation operations would be done at CFI,” said Hembram.

Sources in the district administration said they had announced about the camp a month before it began.