At 60%, caesarean-section deliveries alarmingly high in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The youngest state of the country may have achieved distinction in implementing various unique programmes, but it ranks top in the country pertaining to caesarean (c-sections) deliveries.
Of the total deliveries, 60% of them were caesarean and the rest were normal. At 60%, c-sections deliveries in Telangana are three times more than the national average, which is 22%. The national average too rose from 17% to 22% in the last five years, revealed the National Family Health Survey 2019-2021 report.
“The government has taken up a mission to reduce the c-section deliveries. For instance, Khammam government hospital, which saw 80% of c-section deliveries were brought down to 64% in April this year,” health minister T Harish Rao told TOI on Thursday.
“While there are multiple reasons for rise in c-sections, which pose health risks to the women later years, many people prefer them mainly to have a child at a particular time (muhurth). Some private hospitals encourage c-sections to make quick buck, while a few doctors do not want to take any risk during the deliveries and most of the women would not to want to bear the labour pains,” a senior official said.
Officials said within Telangana, among the private hospitals deliveries, 13 of 33 districts have more than 90% caesarean operations in the past one year. An analysis revealed that c-sections are more prevalent in north Telangana districts with more than 90%, in south districts, the caesarean deliveries are 80%.
In some districts such as Mahbubnagar, the c-sections were 69%.
Harish Rao has been touring districts where c-sections were more high. “The government is requesting gynecologists to reduce unwanted cesareans. Some hospitals have 100% deliveries were c-sections. We want to curb such practices,” the minister said.
Interestingly, the minister also asked the district collectors to hold meeting with priests and astrologers in their respective districts and ask them not to put any muhurth for c-sections.