8 Indian women die after sterilization surgeries

Eight Indian women died from septic shock after a doctor used infected tools in a mass sterilization. An additional 20 women are in critical condition after the procedure.

The Indian state of Chhattisgarh held a one-day sterilization drive, and the doctors had performed 83 surgeries in about six hours. The government-run drive was intended to slow the country's population growth. The state's sterilization target for the year ending in March was 180,000 people, according to the state's chief medical officer, S.K. Mandal.

All 83 of the sterilized women were poor villagers under age 32, according to The Associated Press. India has the world's highest rate of female sterilization, with roughly 37 percent of women undergoing the procedure.

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The state has suspended four government doctors, including the one who performed the operations, as well as the district's chief medical officer. The victims' families will each receive about $6,600 in compensation.