HYDERABAD: Blame it on the greed and unethical behaviour of private hospitals or superstitious parents opting for auspicious dates of birth or psychological fear coupled with desire for a painless delivery, the rates of cesarean section are sky-rocketing in the Telugu States.
While Telangana tops the list with 58 per cent C-sections, Andhra Pradesh is catching up with 40.1 percent.
Cesareans, which are considered a life-saving procedure and important indicator of an area’s ability to provide full pregnancy and delivery related emergency care, has become the most preferred option for expectant mothers who want to avoid risks. The steady increase in the number of cesarean sections has become a cause of concern.
Identifying the same, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with Government of Telangana and the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) convened a national consultation on the ‘Rising Rate of Cesarean Section’ here on Wednesday to explore the emerging trends of extremely high rates of cesarean section in the country.
Apart from topping the list in the number of c-sections, Telangana also tops the list of c-sections in private sector with 74.9 percent, followed by Tripura (73.7), West Bengal (70.9) and AP (57).
Refuting allegations that doctors and hospitals are encouraging expectant mothers to opt for cesarean sections, Dr Shanta Kumari, secretary of Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said that patients and policymakers are also responsible for the trend.
“We can’t actually blame one section of people for the increase in c-section rate. The fact is that no one wants this rate to increase and unfortunately there is no optimal c-section rate. Now-a-days nobody wants to take risk and every mom-to-be wants a perfect baby with no health risks.
They feel c-section is a simple solution. With medico-legal cases posing a threat, doctors don’t want to take a risk. What if the mother develops some complications during normal delivery and something happens to baby? To avoid such issues some of them are suggesting c-sections,” she said.
“Astrology is a curious reason which can be attributed to rising number of c-sections. I have got many cases where parents demand c-section at a particular time on a particular day because they assume it will bring good luck to baby and family. It is hard to believe, but many requests came from senior government officials. So, we should come together to avoid unnecessary c-sections,” she added.
Dr Buddha Prakash M Jyothi, commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, TS observed that there is a need to come up with a comprehensive plan to keep tab on C-sections.
“We want to come up with a plan to keep a tab on c-sections. Once we start monitoring the records, people would follow right procedures. We want to see whether private hospitals are taking the poor for a ride to earn extra bucks. Also, we want to provide right environment and equipment in government hospitals to avoid unnecessary c-sections.”
According to WHO, c-section rates above 10 pc are not associated with reductions in maternal and infant mortality rates and anything below or above that should be monitored.
Dr Dinesh Banswal, deputy commissioner for Maternal Health in Union ministry of Health said the Union government is concerned about the steep rise in C-sections. “The government is closely monitoring the situation. While ensuring that all women have access to quality, comprehensive obstetric services, we need to expand our vision to include the rapidly escalating rates of C-sections,” he opined.