Private hospitals in the district are resorting to unethical practices and doing caesarean 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 foetus and the infant’s health is in danger. The government doctors opted caesarean delivery for 4,918 out of 18,675 cases between April, 2014 and February, 2015. The private hospitals have done 12,874 caesarean deliveries out of 19,479 cases in the same period. It indicated that over 65 per cent cases are referred for caesarean in private hospitals but only 25 per cent deliveries come under caesarean category in government hospitals.
The private hospitals are fleecing the patients by charging between Rs.15, 000 to Rs.30, 000 per caesarean delivery. Many pregnant women are also opting for this to minimise labour pains, according to experts.
Srikakulam District Medical and Health Officer R.Shyamala expressed concern over the large scale caesarean surgeries in private hospitals.
Collector P.Lakshmi Narasimham would convene a meeting with the managements of all private hospitals over the issue, she said. “The government will cancel licenses if private nursing homes and hospitals failed to stop the unethical practises since caesarean surgeries would lead to health complications, apart from financial burden,” she said . The Health Department decided to strengthen the facilities in primary health centres and government hospitals to promote institutional deliveries. “We will appoint more staff in remote areas to do highest number of deliveries in government hospitals,” he added.
The govt. will cancel licences, if nursing homes and hospitals opt for caesarean deliveries when not required
R. Shyamala,Srikakulam DM&HO
