WHILE the article on unwarranted hysterectomies was being written, reports came in of 1,520 unwarranted hysterectomies that had been performed in hamlets, or tandas, inhabited by people of the Lambani tribe in rural Ranibennur, some 300 km from Bengaluru in central Karnataka. Evidently, notwithstanding the decline in hysterectomies in Kalaburagi districts following inquiries, women of vulnerable communities continue to fall prey to the practice in the State.
News reports quoted Karnataka Health Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar as having acknowledged the enormity of the problem and confessed his “helplessness” in checking it. He said that he was under pressure to shield the accused doctor because he was protected by important people.
Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed
