KADAPA: Caesarean deliveries are on the rise among major government hospitals in the district. A rule is that caesarean deliveries should not exceed 25 per cent of the deliveries. However, last August, more than 50 per cent of all deliveries were by caesarean section.
According to government regulations, doctors have to try and ensure that every pregnant woman has a normal delivery. Surgery for delivery should be avoided unless there is any difficulty or complication. However, cesarean deliveries are more common than normal deliveries at the general hospital and across hospitals in the district.
The district hospital in Proddatur handles an average of 150 deliveries a month. Some 158 deliveries took place in August, of which 69 were normal and 89 were caesarean. At the GH in Jammalamadugu, pregnant women from Jammalamadugu, Peddamudiyam, Mylavaram, Kurnool, Sanjamala etc come for delivery.
A total of 66 deliveries took place at the hospital last August, including 33 caesarean and 33 normal. Most deliveries take place at the General Hospital (RIMS) in Kadapa. Pregnant women come here from all over the district. In June, July and August, there were a total of 1,905 deliveries, of which 991 were caesarean and 914 normal.
Doctors say ceesarean deliveries are required due to lack of amniotic fluid in the uterus, defecation of the baby in the womb and absence of pain even after 9 months. Also, many are having their first delivery at a private hospital where caesarean deliveries are the norm since they fetch good sums for the hospitals by way of surgery and other charges.
In government hospitals too, doctors take money for surgeries of all kinds though this is not allowed.
Doctors note that government hospitals are being approached to reduce the cost of the second insemination, which would necessitate a surgery. “Most of the cases coming to the district GH are coming under awkward health conditions,” a female gynaecologist said, adding that doctors are doing caesareans for them only under mandatory conditions.
She said that if pregnant women consult a doctor at a government hospital every month and take medication, there will be no need for surgery for childbirth.
District health officer Dr Konur Nagraju told Deccan Chronicle that caesarean deliveries were more common due to previous pregnancies and some other reasons. "We are working at the field level to identify pregnant women and provide them with appropriate medical care," he said.
Pregnant women can have a normal delivery by consuming leafy vegetables, vegetables, eggs and other nutritious food and doing light exercise, doctors stressed.
