The Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the resignation of Heath Minister T Harish Rao over the death of four women due to alleged "botched" family planning operations.
The state's BJP chief Sanjay Kumar also visited the two other women who were hospitalised because they developed severe infections after sterilisation surgeries at a Community Health Centre in the state's Ibrahimpatnam on 25 August.
Speaking to the press, Kumar said that the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led government was trying to cover up the matter by paying Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the families of the victims.
He demanded that the ex gratia should be increased to Rs 1 crore and that the victims' kin should be given houses and free education should be provided for their children.
The BJP leader also demanded that those undergoing treatment, after facing health complications following the surgery, should be paid Rs 10 lakh each.
Kumar Slams Doctors for 'Over Enthusiasm'
Kumar further slammed the "over enthusiasm" of doctors for trying to perform 34 double puncture laparoscopic surgeries within one hour for the sake of "creating a record."
He also questioned CM Rao on why he had not called the victims' families yet.
"Instead, the CM chose to fly down to Bihar to distribute cheques to the families of the Bhoiguda fire accident victims. For him, gaining publicity with such tricks is more important than poor women’s lives," Kumar said, as per The Hindu.
Meanwhile, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has not permitted Harish Rao to step down from his post.
The two women undergoing treatment are stable and will be discharged soon, the doctors treating them said in a press statement.
(With inputs from The Hindu.)
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