WCD Minister urges the Health Minister to mandate public disclosure of information regarding C-sections by hospitals
The Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has expressed deep concern about the increasing trend of hospitals forcing expecting mothers to undergo C-section surgery for delivery of their babies. The World Health Organization, in their recommendations, has stated that C-section surgeries normally constitute 10-15% of the total deliveries. However, the National Health Family Survey-4 reports indicate that this percentage is much higher. In Tamil Nadu, this percentage has been found to be 34% and in Telangana 58%. The situation in private hospitals and nursing homes is even more alarming. In Telangana, in private hospitals ,the number of women who undergo C-section deliveries is as high as 75% of the total deliveries. Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi today received a petition in this regard from Subarna Ghosh through www.change.org. This petition has been signed by over one lakh women. Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has taken up the matter with the Health Minister, Shri J.P. Nadda. She has suggested that one of the methods to curtail this alarming trend is to mandate public disclosure of information regarding C-section surgeries as compared to the normal deliveries which take place in all hospitals and nursing homes. She has also suggested that the Health Ministry, in collaboration with WCD Ministry, could take up an outreach campaign with the medical community as well as the prospective mothers on this subject. In her communication to the Health Minister, Smt. Gandhi has pointed out that C-section surgeries have serious impact not only on the health of the mother but also on her ability to continue work after delivery. In most cases, C-section surgery also affects the reproductive health of the woman.
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