Inspection of private hospitals empanelled with the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) alone will not serve the purpose of curbing C-section surgeries as one of the criteria to be eligible for availing the CGHS facility is that the expectant mother has to be a Central government employee or a dependant of a Central government employee in CGHS-covered areas (“Give data of C-section and normal deliveries: Maneka”, July 15).
In a country like India, more than half the women who are of reproductive age may not fall under this bracket. Moreover, the hospitals they reach out to for their obstetric and gynaecological needs may not be under the purview of a childbirth audit.
The government should use various family welfare mediums to educate its citizens regarding the benefits of normal birthing vis-à-vis a C-section. Perhaps counsellors can be appointed at health-care centres to provide an insight into why the risks of a C-section far outweigh the benefits. A caesarean, as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, should be done based on a medical need where it is life-saving for the mother and baby.
Variar Yamini Vinod,
Singapore