Patna, Feb. 2: Bihar State Human Rights Commission (BHSRC) today issued a notice to the health department seeking a report on the alleged illegal tubectomies conducted by a non-government organisation (NGO) in Araria last month.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Neel Mani, a member of the commission, has issued a notice to the department’s principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha, asking him to conduct an in-depth inquiry into illegal tubectomy surgeries carried out by Jai Ambe Welfare Society at Kaparfora village under Kursakatta police station in Araria in the second week of January.

The commission has directed Sinha to get the matter probed either by the regional deputy director, health services (Purnea), or any other officer deputed from the headquarters.

The order also stated that the inquiry report should be submitted before the commission within a month.

The probe, among other things, should find out if the department had deputed any officer to supervise such surgeries or if any government department had funded the camp. It should also be probed if the NGO was registered under the Societies Registration Act and if the health department had issued any guideline for organising such health camps.

The commission has asked the department concerned to provide details of the camps organised earlier by the NGO and the grants received from the government.

It has also directed the deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Purnea range, Amit Kumar, to apprise the commission of the action taken by the police against the offenders. “The DIG’s report should reach the commission within a month,” the order stated.

The DIG, in his supervision report, found serious lapses on the part of the organisers. Total 53 women hailing from different parts of the district were operated upon at the camp.

The surgeries were conducted in darkness and the patients had to spend the night on the floor.

“There were no beds for the patients. Even expired medicines were recovered from the place,” the DIG’s report said.

The supervision report revealed the patients were shifted to an Araria-based hospital after their condition deteriorated.

The DIG, who visited the spot on the directive of the state police headquarters, was shocked to know that tubectomy was performed on benches. Even cotton was not available for the patients, the DIG’s report revealed.

Earlier, on January 8, Araria superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande had conducted a raid at Kaparfora upgraded middle school after some residents complained of violation of prescribed norms at the camp. Subsequently, three persons were arrested and an FIR was lodged against the NGO and some unidentified persons.