A 35-year-old Indian man who had been set to get married in about a month was allegedly manipulated into getting a vasectomy, resulting in the launch of a state government investigation into the incident.
The victim, who is from the Navi Sedhavi village in Mehsana district in Ahmedabad, was allegedly taken to Adalaj Community Health Centre on November 29 by healthcare professionals who told him they needed help and wanted to hire him as a manual laborer. He was given a drink at the center and later lost consciousness. When he awoke, the procedure had already been performed. He became aware of it when he attempted to urinate and experienced pain.
The victim stated that he was taken to a medical center by healthcare workers who were looking to make a commission off of sterilizing him, reported the Deccan Herald.
A false consent form was also forged on the victim’s behalf, bearing his fingerprint. It states that he has three children.
“Vasectomy is not a scam as being projected because health workers don’t have a target to achieve. It is voluntary for which a health worker gets Rs 200 to Rs 500. The incident is being investigated,” state health minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel said.
The Indian government has long offered sterilization rewards in order to assist with the nation’s growing problem of overpopulation. They have incentivized citizens to do so by offering compensation of 2,000 rupees to anyone who undergoes the procedure and 200 to 500 rupees to medical workers every time they successfully conduct a procedure.
The worker involved in the scheme has been suspended as investigation into the incident continues.