‘Unwanted vasectomy’ in Gujarat: Man claims he is bachelor, form says father of three

The allegations come close on the heels of an alleged scam involving misuse of another government scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY), as part of which “unnecessary angioplasty” were performed on seven people from the same district, resulting in the death of two at a private hospital in Ahmedabad following post-surgery complications.

The NSV procedure on the 35-year-old man was carried out on November 29, during the NSV Pakhwada being observed by the Gujarat government between November 21 and December 4.

The consent form, which has the purported thumb imprint of the man, states that he is a father of three children – two sons and a daughter, two officials of the health department confirmed with The Indian Express.

The 35-year-old is a resident of Navi Sedhavi village in Mehsana district.

The district administration has ordered a probe into the incident. A report in the matter has been submitted to the District Development Officer (DDO) while a show-cause notice has been issued to the health worker concerned.
On Thursday, the 35-year-old man told media persons gathered outside his house that he was taken to the CHC on the pretext of providing him “labour work”. However, this claim is under investigation.

Officials told The Indian Express that the man, one of four siblings, had lost an elder brother a couple of days before the procedure. His kin told the media that he was set to get married in a month.

Mehsana DDO Jasmine Hasrat was unavailable for comment as was Dr Nayan Jani, the Additional Director of Family Welfare for the Gujarat health department.

No FIR or police complaint has been filed in the matter yet.

Dr Mahesh Kapadia, the Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) of Mehsana, said, “A multipurpose health worker came in contact with a past NSV beneficiary. They took this 35-year-old old man along to get the procedure done despite the fact that he is unmarried and childless. They took him to Adalaj CHC in Gandhinagar district and got the procedure conducted there without informing any officials in Mehsana, especially the Additional District Health Officer (ADHO) in charge of family planning.”

Dr Kapadia further said, “The consent form submitted at Adalaj CHC said that the man was a father of three children. However, that does not appear to be the case.”

Dr AJ Vaishnav, the CDHO of Gandhinagar where the vasectomy was carried out, said, “The matter is under investigation and the claims of the person alleging unwanted vasectomy are being checked. However, it is true that the consent form, which has his thumb print, says that he has three children.”

According to another health official, men who choose to get NSV receive Rs 2,000 each as an incentive while the “motivator”, the person who convinces them for the surgery, gets Rs 300 per procedure.

Explaining the process of informed consent in such cases, a health official, on condition of anonymity, said, “There is a form which has details of the person who has agreed to undergo the procedure, including details of marital status and offspring. This is to be signed. There are also details of the motivator. Finally, the surgeon signs off this form.”

NSV is a method of permanent sterilisation for men carried out without the use of a knife.