In Gujarat’s Mehsana district, a shocking sterilisation scandal has been uncovered, wherein, health workers Zaheer Solanki and Shehzad Ajmeri sterilized two youths without their consent to meet their ‘target’. One of the victims, a 30-year-old man named Govind Dhantari, who was about to get married in a month, was sterilized by the accused under pretense. Consequently, the bride’s family called the marriage off.
Reports say that health worker Shehzad Ajmeri lured Govind Dhantari, a resident of Navi Shedhavi village in Mehsana, with the promise of a job and told Govind that he would be taken to work in the fields. However, instead, he was taken to Adalaj Hospital. After reaching the hospital, Govind was made to drink alcohol and his thumb impression was taken on a consent form for sterilization. He was shown as married on the papers so that the violation of rules could be concealed.
Narrating his ordeal, victim Govind said, “The ordeal began when I was lured with the promise of picking guava and jujube trees. The next day, I was taken to a village in a government vehicle and forced to drink alcohol. Later, under the pretext of visiting a guava site in Joranag village, I was given alcohol worth Rs. 100, which left me unconscious. In that state, I was taken to Adalaj hospital. When I returned home the following day, I felt severe pain while urinating and noticed signs of an operation or a vein cut done without my knowledge or consent.”
Shehzad was one operation short of his ‘target’ for sterilization operations, to achieve that, he and Zaheer sterilized Govind. Both the health workers are now suspended. Shehzad claimed that he was innocent and it was Zaheer who brought the Hindu man and got the operation done.
This incident has exposed the target-based sterilization campaign in the department, and Health Officer GB Gadhvi admitted that 375 operations were carried out on a target basis in Sabarkantha. However, Health Minister Rishikesh Patel refuted these allegations and said that sterilization is completely voluntary.
The department, however, took action against the accused Shehzad Ajmeri, and has suspended him. Further, he has been transferred from Dhanali Health Center in Mehsana to Kheralu Health Center. Meanwhile, the Health Department has issued notices to 8 other employees and ordered a detailed investigation of the matter. After this scandal, the department started investigating all 28 sterilization operations that took place on 22nd November 2024 at Adalaj Hospital.
Meanwhile, Mehsana District Health Officer Dr Mahesh Kapadia said, “The NSV sterilization camps are running statewide in Gujarat, adhering to government guidelines. In the Mehsana district alone, 28 beneficiaries underwent the procedure since November 22, with necessary family consent typically required. However, in this case, our employee failed to secure consent from the beneficiary’s wife or his family member, as mandated, and proceeded despite the beneficiary being unmarried…”
