Patna, Nov 17 (IANS): The negligence of the Bihar health department was in full view in Khagaria district on Wednesday when around two dozen women were sterilized without anaesthesia.

The women went to the Alauli and Parbatta health centres in the districts for a family planning operation on Wednesday. The medical staff pinned them down on the bed, held their hands and legs tightly, put cotton in the mouth and performed the operation without anaesthesia.

The victims suffered unbearable pain during and after the surgery.

Amarnath Jha, the civil surgeon of Khagaria said: "We have initiated an inquiry into the matter and asked for an explanation from the NGO responsible for the inhuman act."

The health department has given the contract for family planning operations to the NGO named Global Development Initiative.

"We have sought clarification from the NGO and also initiated the process of blacklisting it. Preliminary investigation reveals that the NGO was involved in an inhuman act," Jha said.

The NGO is using a process called "tubectomy" to make the patients unconscious. The official said that it has not worked on the patients at the time of an operation. The state government is paying Rs 2100 for every tubectomy.

The official said that this act of the NGO is a criminal offence as they have risked the life of patients.

A similar incident took place in Araria district in 2012 when 53 women underwent family planning operations without anaesthesia. At that time, an FIR was registered against the errant medical officials and three of them were jailed.