Health Ministry moves to curb 'unjustified' uterus removals

The health ministry has directed the states to share data on the hysterectomies performed by medical institutions after the Supreme Court last month said stringent action should be taken against hospitals performing unjustified uterus removals. In a letter to the states, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has also advised the state health secretaries to undertake compulsory audits for all hysterectomies, as is being done for maternal mortality in both public and private healthcare institutions.

"The matter is regarding prevention of unnecessary and often unjustified hysterectomies performed by certain medical institutions," said the letter, adding that the matter is being closely monitored by the health ministry. In April, disposing of a public interest litigation that alleged illegal and forced hysterectomies in some states, the top court had directed that hospitals found to have carried out unnecessary hysterectomies should be blacklisted and that the health ministry's guidelines on the medical procedure should be implemented within three months.

The health ministry's guidelines on hysterectomy, shared with the states much before the PIL was filed, say that while in developed countries hysterectomies are typically conducted amongst pre-menopausal women above the age of 45, in India, community-based studies have consistently found rising hysterectomy rates among young women, ranging from 28 to 36 years of age.

The guidelines mandate that the national committee should review the landscape and take necessary policy decisions, as required, once every six months.