Bengaluru: The petition by a Mumbaiite, Subarna Ghosh on Change.org to Union Minister For Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, asking for all hospitals to declare the number of their caesarean deliveries has sparked a debate amongst gynaecologists and women in the city, which has seen a rise in C-section deliveries over the years.
Going by a National Family Health Survey 4 report, 30 per cent of deliveries recorded in Bengaluru in 2015-16 were through C-section and as much 38.5 per cent of these were reported from private hospitals.
But Dr Manisha Singh, HoD, fertility gynaecologist and minimal access surgery specialist, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta, protests that not all caesareans are unnecessary as claimed.
"Nowadays many people are diabetic or hypertensive and have other complications arising from these conditions. A small percentage of caesareans may be unnecessary, but not all hospitals are doing them.
This statement is not an accurate reflection of what happens in a dynamic labour ward. However, it is fair to say that hospitals should do an audit and NABH can have a look at it," she said.
Dr Praveena Shenoi, deputy medical director of the Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Old Airport Road says while the hospitals strongly encourage normal birthing, they also give priority to the safety of the mother and baby.
Admitting there has been an increase in caesareans at the hospital, he says various factors are responsible - like delayed pregnancies, older women having babies, bigger babies and rise in gestational diabetes.
"Talking about C-sections without considering the rate of caesareans in women above 30, women with diabetes, high BP or previous pregnancy loss is completely meaningless," he argued.
It’s a scam, says Maneka Gandhi
Responding to Subarna's petition through the Decision Maker option on Change.org, the Ms Maneka Gandhi tweeted, "I have taken note of this petition on Change.org started by Subarna Ghosh. It raises some serious issues about maternal health in India and shows that C-section surgeries in our hospitals are almost becoming a scam. I am going to write to the Ministry of Health to urgently look into this matter and issue a directive to hospitals to mandatorily reveal the percentage of C-section surgeries to expecting mothers."
The petition by Subarna Ghosh says:
- Make it mandatory for all doctors and hospitals to declare the percentage of caesarean delivery rates to patients.
- Hold an inquiry against hospitals with abnormally high C-section rates.
- Frame clear guidelines for conducting caesareans to safeguard the health and rights of women and children
- World Health Organisation norms prescribe that C-section deliveries should be ideally 10 or 15 per cent of the total number of deliveries in the country. However, in urban Telengana, 74.8 per cent of the private sector deliveries are by C-section. In Kerala the figure is 41 per cent and in Tamil Nadu, 58 per cent, according to a report by the ICMR School of Public Health.
It is important that women are made aware of the impact of caesarean sections, which is an emergency recourse and not a routine medical procedure. The fact is that only 10 per cent of births should be via C-section.
But in Indian private hospitals that rate is close to 50 per cent. This is a serious health risk and the government has to take action NOW!Sign my petition and ask the Women and Child Development ministry to end this harmful practice by hospitals.
