New Delhi: The number of women who underwent sterilization surgery has increased by 36% while male sterilization has dropped to below 25%.
As per the health ministry accessed through RTI, the number of female sterilizations has increased from 30.22 lakh in 2012-2013 to 41.28 lakh in 2013-2014. Male sterilizations which were already low, further dropped from 1.20 lakh to 91,652 in the same period.
The data given in response to queries raised by UP resident Kush Kalra shows the number of sterilizations done on men is a fraction of surgeries conducted on women.
Despite the botched health camp in Chhattisgarh where 11 women died under dubious circumstances after undergoing sterilization surgeries, the rate of women sterilization surgery has gone up. Health experts point out that the burden of the government sponsored sterilization campaign remains on the women. These health camps have questionable quality of care.
Maharashtra that has the highest number of female sterilizations (5.32 lakh) had barely 17,235 male sterilizations in 2013-2014. The state is followed by Bihar with 5.11 lakh female sterilizations but only 3,294 male sterilizations. Madhya Pradesh has conducted 3.54 lakh sterilizations on women as compared to 6,396 sterilizations on men in the same period. Tamil Nadu conducted 3.21 lakh surgeries on women as compared to 1,384 men while Andhra Pradesh recorded 3.09 lakh surgeries on women as compared to 9,058 men.
The level of sterilization surgery camps conducted by government is very low and quality of these health camps should be upgraded as soon as possible.
