Post News Network
Angul, Dec 3: Even as the row over use of cycle pumps to dilate the cervix of women during tubectomy procedures at a camp in the district is yet to blow over, the district administration and the health officials were found sharply divided on the issue Wednesday. Both sides are making claims and counter-claims on the issue.
While district officials, who conducted an inquiry into the issue, have claimed that cycle pumps were used to carry out tubectomies in the camp, health officials have rejected such allegations.
Additional district medical officer (ADMO) Dr Shankarlal Agrawal claimed insufflators were used to blow air into the stomach during tubectomy. The insufflators come with a hand-pump kit used for filling air and is known as ‘sterilized air pumps’ in medical terms.
The hand-pump looks similar to a cycle pump, but is not the same as claimed by others, he said, adding there are two insufflators in the district out of which one is at Khamar health centre and another at Talcher health centre.
The insufflators used in the Banarpal camp were borrowed from the Khamar health centre. Medical officer Dr Dillip Kumar Das also confirmed the claim made by the ADMO.
The insufflators were later handed over to the Khamar health centre officials after the Banarpal camp was over. Agrawal also termed the probe as one-sided and questioned its authenticity as none of them who conducted the probe had any technical knowledge.
Collector Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, however, differed with the health officials and said that a probe by the sub-collector had found the use of cycle pumps in the camp on which he has submitted a report to the state government.
