12/04/2014, 00.00
INDIA
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Odisha: a bicycle pump used in mass sterilisations of women

State authorities halt all operations in health camps. At least 56 women underwent tubectomy this way. The performing doctor justifies himself by saying that it "is a common practice" all over the state.

Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews/Agencies) - A doctor on Friday used a bicycle pump on 56 women to inflate their abdomens as part of tubectomy operations at a health camp set up as part of the state's birth control programme.

Reports about the incident became public yesterday, sparking a renewed debate in the country. As a result, state authorities halted all mass sterilisation procedures.

Dr Mahesh Chandra Rout said that in Odisha (Orissa) bicycle pumps are a widely accepted sterilisation tool.

During sterilisation surgery, the patient's abdomen is 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, including bubbles forming in the vein.

For Dr Rout, "bicycle pumps are an affordable and convenient alternative" and "is a common practice not just here, but all over the state."

In November, a similar case of mass female sterilisations became front-page news in India and around the world.

The incident occurred in Chhattisgarh. It involved 83 women operated in less than five hours, 14 of whom later died.

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