Rise in C-sections result of family compulsion?

HYDERABAD: The drastic increase in Caesarean section deliveries in the State is no secret. Almost 40 per cent of the deliveries in public hospitals is through the Cesarean procedure.

The advised percentage by the World Health Organisation for any country is a maximum of 10 to 15 per cent C-section births. However, the possible reason for Cesarean deliveries in Telangana could be attributed to local level political influence at the behest of family and pressure from the to-be-mothers' family members.

The State government has identified 12 Area Hospitals in the State that has the highest C-section deliveries, namely Siddipet, Karimnagar, King Koti, Pedapally, Khammam, Suryapet,  Kamareddy, Mahabubnagar, Bhongir, Nalgonda, Jagtial and Jangaon. Three nurses, who are also trained midwives, from each of these hospitals are being trained in a 15-day theory and practical programme to educate women to select natural birth procedures. However, the social and psychological factors of the patients hinder their efforts.

One of the nurses from Kamareddy Area Hospital said, “We try our level best to convince the to-be-mothers, but some of them are so adamant on going for C-section and they call the sarpanch or the local political leader to influence us. Apart from that, it is not only the educated middle-class people who want a C-section, but even patients from tribal areas also come with the knowledge and preconceived notion to go under the knife for the delivery,’’ she said.

Another nurse from King Koti Area Hospital in Hyderabad laments, “Even the family pressurises us, especially the mother or the mother-in-law, as they can’t bear to see their daughters go through labour pain. The patient sometimes even asks for a guarantee that the baby should be delivered properly after all the labour pain if they choose to go for a natural birth.’’

The Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare also explained that midwives will be trained to tackle such notions.