A Prayagraj woman’s 11 year struggle for justice culminated on June 4 when the Permanent Lok Adalat held the UP health department accountable for a failed sterilization procedure performed in 2013, leading to 6th pregnancy of Anita the plaintiff.
The court imposed a '2 lakh penalty on the government and mandated monthly payments of '5,000 until the child turns 18 or completes graduation. Anita, a daily wage laborer from Kalipur Chhata village, underwent sterilization at Mauaima’s Primary Health Center in October 2013. Despite assurances of success, she discovered she was 16 weeks pregnant in January 2014. Doctors advised termination, but Anita was not ready to kill a life in her womb.
The couple, already struggling to feed five children, took loans to pursue legal recourse and medical expenses. The health department ignored court notices for eight years, with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) first appearing in July 2022. Officials offered a `60,000 settlement, dismissing Anita’s demand for `5 lakh to cover the child’s upbringing. The court rejected the state’s argument that the family failed to report the failure within three months, noting, "The burden of failed sterilization cannot be shifted to the victim."
Over 130 hearings and five presiding officers later, the verdict highlighted institutional apathy. Anita’s lawyer, Sudhakar Mishra, revealed the CMO’s office repeatedly sought adjournments. The ruling mandates `20,000 for mental trauma and holds broader implications for accountability in government health schemes.
The daughter Anjali, now 11, aspires to be a doctor, a dream her parents vow to support despite their meager earnings. Case also highlights systemic delays in addressing medical negligence and slow process can delay the justice to the point where a simple judgement becomes a testimony of victory against the state.
