Private hospitals in Srikakulam District are adopting unethical practices and doing cesarean deliveries indiscriminately, according a detailed study done by medical and health authorities.
Doctors should opt for caesarean deliveries only when a woman carries more than one fetus and infant health is in danger. They can do so if complications are anticipated in labour room.
The government doctors opted caesarean delivery for 4,918 out of 18,675 delivery cases between April, 2014 and Febraury, 2015. The private hospitals have done 12,874 cesarean deliveries out of 19,479 delivery cases in the same period. It indicated that over 65 per cent cases are referred for cesarean in private hospitals but only 25 per cent deliveries come under cesarean category in Government hospitals.
The private hospitals are fleecing pregnant women and their family members by charging between Rs.15, 000 to Rs.30, 000 for each caesarean delivery. Many pregnant women are also opting caesarean surgeries to minimize labour pains, according to experts.
Srikakulam District Medical and Health Officer R.Shyamala expressed concern over the large–scale caesarean surgeries in private hospitals. She told The Hindu that Srikakulam Collector P. Lakshmi Narasimham would convene a meeting with managements of all private hospitals over the issue. “The Government will cancel licenses if private nursing homes and hospitals failed to stop unethical practices since caesarean surgeries would lead to health complications also apart from financial burden on patients,” she told The Hindu.
The District Medical and Health Department decided to strengthen the facilities in primary health centers and government hospitals to promote institutional deliveries. The government is giving wide publicity about the payment of Rs.1000, transport charges to pregnant women under Janani Sishu Suraksha Yojayna. Asha workers are also asked to create awareness about the benefits with the deliveries in government hospitals so that they would not go to private hospitals.
“The pregnant women need not go to private hospitals when all the facilities are there in remote places. We will appoint more number of trained medical staff in remote areas to do highest number of deliveries in government hospitals,” Dr.Shyamala added.
