Female sterilization in small camp settings in rural India

In an effort to provide female sterilization services in areas that lack modern surgical facilities and highly trained personnel, while avoiding the high complication rates associated with mass sterilization programs, small sterilization camps were held at six rural primary health centers (PHCs) in the Baroda District, Gujarat, India, beginning in 1972. Data collected for 2,009 women undergoing sterilization by the Pomeroy technique at these camps showed an operative and immediate postoperative complication rate of 2.1% and an early postoperative complication rate of 6.7%. These rates compare well with those found in sterilization series performed in modern, well equipped urban settings, further demonstrating that the small camp is an appropriate facility for female sterilization in rural India.