--- description: The state of Odisha has halted mass sterilizations after it was revealed that a surgeon had used a bicycle pump in 56 operations. title: Indian Ban on Mass Sterilization After Bicycle Pump Scare image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Indian State Bans Mass Sterilization After Surgeon Uses Bicycle Pump in Operations by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 4, 2014 6:49 AM CUT by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 4, 2014 6:49 AM CUT A state in India [issued a ban](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30308653 "undefined") on mass sterilizations on Tuesday, a few days after it was revealed that a surgeon had used a bicycle pump in 56 operations last week. Women undergoing tubectomies for sterilization are required to have their abdomens inflated, but this is generally done through the introduction of carbon dioxide rather than outside air. Officials from the East Indian state of Odisha said using a pump for the procedure can be extremely risky, the BBC reports. Dr. Mahesh Chandra Rout, the surgeon accused of breaking protocol, told the BBC that pumps are routinely used in Odisha during such procedures and that he had never faced “a mishap or complication.” Tuesday’s ban is another addition to the controversy surrounding India’s mass sterilization drives, which are conducted widely and frequently to curb the country’s rapidly growing population. [Over a dozen women died](http://time.com/3582954/indian-doctor-arrested-sterilization-surgery-gupta/ "undefined") during a sterilization drive in the state of Chattisgarh last month, a tragedy that was later blamed on substandard drugs. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3617484/india-odisha-mass-sterilization-bicycle-pump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3617484/india-odisha-mass-sterilization-bicycle-pump/"},"headline":"Indian State Bans Mass Sterilization After Surgeon Uses Bicycle Pump in Operations","datePublished":"2014-12-04T06:49:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:33:47.795Z","description":"Surgeon claims he never faced “a mishap or complication” during the dangerous procedure","url":"https://time.com/3617484/india-odisha-mass-sterilization-bicycle-pump/","keywords":["women","India","health","Population"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3617484/india-odisha-mass-sterilization-bicycle-pump/","name":"Indian State Bans Mass Sterilization After Surgeon Uses Bicycle Pump in Operations"}}]}] ```