Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, April 26, 2011: The Youth Congress activists on Tuesday laid siege to the Health department Director’s office in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the ‘mass caesarean’ cases that have surfaced in government hospitals in Kollam and Cherthala. The YC activists demanded that the stringent action must be taken against the doctors who are involved in this incident.

The activist who made a forced entry into the Director’s office were later arrested and taken into custody.

More ‘mass caesarian’ cases had surfaced in a government hospital in Kerala with 16 c-sections being performed in three days in Kollam district, allegedly to suit holiday plans of an anaesthetist.

Meanwhile the Kollam DMO began probe into the mass caesarean conducted at Kadakkal Taluk hospital in Kollam. The Kollam DMO Dr Babu Chandran said that the probe report will be submitted on Wednesday. District Collector G Lalithambika has directed the District Medical Officer to conduct an enquiry and submit a report tomorrow, official sources said.

16 women underwent caesarian section on April 16, 18 and 19 at Kadakakal government hospital to suit the convenience of the anaesthetist who wanted to proceed on a 10-day leave from April 20.

The first scandal erupted last week, when 21 caesarian sections were performed in two days at Cherthala government hospital, following which the district medical officer in Alappuzha recommended action against four doctors, including the superintendent after a preliminary probe.