Indian state halts 'bicycle pump sterilisation surgery'

An Indian state has halted mass sterilisations at health camps after a doctor was found using a bicycle pump to inflate women's abdomens. Dr Mahesh Chandra Rout, who used a pump on 56 women last Friday, said the pumps were regularly used in Odisha, which was formerly known as Orissa.

State officials said carbon dioxide should be used for the procedure, and using pumps could be dangerous. Reports that Dr Rout had used a bicycle pump to inflate the abdomen of women patients have sparked outrage since news emerged at the weekend.



During sterilisation surgery, the patient's abdomen needs to be inflated to create a space in which the surgeon can manoeuvre the instruments. State officials said the use of atmospheric air, rather than controlled procedures using carbon dioxide, might lead to a range of health problems.

Odisha's senior health official Arati Ahuja said sterilisation surgeries in the state would now be held in fully equipped hospitals with all facilities. "Doctors will be required to adhere to internationally accepted safety norms to prevent any possible infection," Ms Ahuja said.