Compensation for family planning casualties increased: TN govt

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court that it increased the compensation amount for the casualties and failures in family planning surgeries that are performed at government hospitals.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to the State to provide her a compensation of Rs 50 lakh since the family planning surgery performed by the doctors in Padi GH in 2018 failed and she conceived even after undergoing the procedure.

Additional Advocate General J Ravindran made this submission before justice M Dhandapani of the Madras HC, while the judge was disposing of a plea by a Tiruvallur-based woman named Kanimozhi Balaji.

The AAG submitted that the government has passed a GO to increase the compensation from Rs 2 lakh to 4 lakh for patients who die within a week after undergoing the family planning procedure in GHs. "If a patient dies within a month, the earlier compensation was Rs.50,000, it has been revised to Rs 1lakh, " AAG Ravindran informed the court.

In the cases of family planning failures in GHs, the government would provide Rs 60,000 while it was merely gave Rs 30,000 in the past, according to the State. The government also noted that the treatment cost for people who are under medical care for 60 days, after the family planning procedure is eligible to get Rs 60,000. The AAG noted that the patients should have registered with the family planning insurance scheme for availing of the above-said compensation.

Her counsel submitted that the HC had ordered Rs 25 lakh as compensation for family planning failures. Therefore, the court directed the State to file its counter regarding the compensation for patients who undergo the procedure in GHs. Recording the submissions of the state, Justice Dhandapani disposed of the petition granting liberty to the petitioner to file a different suit if she needs any other relief.