Fact-Finding Report on the Unnatural Prevalence of Hysterectomies in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Post Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Chhattisgarh is a central-Indian state that up until 2000 had been a part of its neighbour state, Madhya Pradesh. As of the 2001 census, Chhattisgarh’s population totalled 20.83 million people. Comprised of 16 districts, Chhattisgarh is one of the least developed states in India notwithstanding that it is rich in natural resources. Although the state’s domestic product has recently grown over 10% per year, thanks mostly to its abundance of steel, most of the state is rural. Chhattisgarh has the highest population of tribal people in India; members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) make up 50% of the state’s population.

Chhattisgarh also has the lowest Human Development Index at 0.358 and is often the focus of national and state-level health studies and medical healthcare programs. Health care in the state is dismal, especially among SC and ST. For example, half of all ST women are malnourished, only 27% of people in the state have access to a washroom, and only 18% of STs have access to the same. Recent data shows that contraceptive use in Chhattisgarh is exceptionally low with only 49.7% of the population using a modern method of contraception.

In response to numerous media articles on unnecessary hysterectomies in Chhattisgarh, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) established a fact-finding team to investigate the situation on the ground. This fact-finding report provides a brief introduction to Chhattisgarh, outlines key government schemes, describes the team’s findings, and highlights key concerns and areas for improvement.

The full Fact Finding report is attached here.

Contact Sarita Barpanda; sarita@hrln.org