eye examination at a camp in Tamil Nadu
A villager undergoes an eye examination at a camp organised by Aravind Eye Care System in a village outside Madurai, in India's Tamil Nadu state March 3, 2010 to screen for eye problems which will then be treated at one of their hospitals. Reuters/Reinhard Krause

Eight women are dead and 25 others are in critical condition after undergoing a sterilization procedure at a state-run facility in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, according to local reports Tuesday. Around 83 women reportedly underwent surgery as part of an annual "family planning" camp on Saturday.

Nearly 52 women were admitted to hospitals after they complained of acute abdominal pain and other symptoms, including vomiting. Residents of Pendari village in Bilaspur district, where the incident took place, have reportedly blamed the camp with negligence saying that it carried out the surgeries in haste. Locals reportedly claimed that a doctor and his assistant carried out surgeries for all 83 women in a span of only six hours.

"The cause of the death would be known only after the post-mortem report is available,” a local health official told BBC.

The state health department, which had organized the camp, has reportedly ordered an inquiry into the incident, The Times of India, a local newspaper reported.

"We've constituted a committee to inquire into the incident. We will take strict action against those found guilty. At the moment though, we are concentrating on giving proper medical care to the women," Chhattisgarh Health Minister Amar Agrawal said, according to BBC.

The government has reportedly announced a compensation of nearly $3,251 for the families of the deceased, and about $813 for those who are still in hospital, NDTV, a local news network reported.

Digvijaya Singh, a leader of the Congress party, demanded action against the negligent officers on his Twitter account.

However, officials have reportedly denied claims of negligence.

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