46% of C-section deliveries: Karnataka to launch program to reduce unnecessary cesareans

Bengaluru: Amid the growing rate of cesarean deliveries, which now account for 46% of births and are overshadowing normal deliveries, the Karnataka government has formulated a special program that will be introduced next month to control and reduce unnecessary cesarean deliveries in the state. 

The data was shared by Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao during a legislative council session on Monday. While responding to a question raised by MLC Jagdeva Guttedar, the minister acknowledged that the rate of cesarean deliveries in the state has been increasing annually. 

He said “… the caesarean delivery rate, which was 35 per cent in 2021-2022, increased to 38 per cent in 2022-23. Currently, the caesarean rate in the state is 46 per cent. We have taken this seriously and are taking measures to control them."

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He noted that in private hospitals, over 61 per cent of deliveries are caesarean, driven by the fact that caesarean sections generate more income and are easier to perform, PTI reports. 

“It is essential to curb this for the health of both the mother and the child. Women need to be mentally and physically prepared for a natural birth. We are formulating a new programme, which will be announced next month. Some private hospitals are performing up to 80-90 per cent caesarean deliveries,” he added.

Foeticide prevention 

Rao, responding to another question, said eight cases have been registered in the state since 2023-24, and 46 people have been arrested in connection with foeticide.

A large number of foeticide cases have been detected due to increased inspections of scanning centres and hospitals in the state. Action is being taken against those involved in foeticide through successful decoy operations, he said.

To prevent foeticide in the state, the government has established all statutory committees under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act at the state and district levels, the Minister said. Since 2018, all scanning centres in the state have been required to register and renew through the ‘Balika’ software.

He said that 100 per cent registration of pregnant women is underway at the state level, and information technology is being used to monitor sex ratio data at the village level.

Pointing out that 136 cases have been registered in the state against scanning centres, owners, or doctors for violating the PCPNDT Act, Rao said 74 persons have been fined and acquitted, while 65 cases are still pending in court at various stages.

He said the Karnataka government has increased the reward for informers who provide information about scanning centres, hospitals, doctors, brokers, or relatives involved in detecting and killing female foetuses, helping in filing a case, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. 

As per a Bangalore Mirror news report, the minister said, “To reduce such surgeries, taluk-level hospitals are being strengthened to provide 24/7 maternal services, ensuring natural deliveries during the night and performing caesareans only when necessary. This step aims to reduce unnecessary referrals from taluk to district hospitals and limit superfluous caesarean surgeries."

Midwifery program

As part of the new state initiative, the govt has already trained nurses under an 18-month midwifery project to handle deliveries at government hospitals. Explaining the number of maternal hospitals in the state, Rao informed that the state has opened 88 maternal and child hospitals, of which 60 are operational, offering 24/7 comprehensive maternal services. 

“Skilled staff and specialists in these hospitals are promoting natural deliveries. The midwifery program has been introduced to boost natural births, with nurses undergoing 18 months of specialised training to handle deliveries. Currently, training is being conducted in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Belagavi, " Rao said during the session.

"By July 2025, MLCUs (Maternal and Labour Care Units) will be operational in district hospitals in Hassan, Mandya, and Mysuru. Training centres have also been established in Bengaluru’s Vani Vilas Hospital, and further expansions are planned for Kolar, Bengaluru, Davangere, and Tumakuru hospitals post-training completion by December 2025. 

Caesarean audits are being conducted in hospitals to examine the necessity of surgeries. Monthly review meetings are held at the district level to monitor and prevent unnecessary procedures," he added. 

Fake clinics

When asked about the measures taken against fake medical clinics in the state, the Minister responded that the state will enforce stringent measures against fake medical clinics under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Amendment Act.

"Since January 2021, 134 fake clinics were identified in Kolar district alone, of which 16 were sealed, 8 PCR cases were filed, 1 case resulted in an FIR, and 7 are under trial. A total of 102 clinics have been shut down," the minister informed.

Cancer treatment

Cancer treatment which comes to costly for patients, Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil stated that the government provides free cancer treatment at the Kidwai Memorial Institute for families below the poverty line (BPL) under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka scheme. For families above the poverty line (APL), affordable care is made available through the same initiative.

Additionally, under the Rare Disease Scheme, costly procedures such as robotic surgeries and bone marrow transplants are offered free of charge to BPL families.

The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare infrastructure, with plans to equip 31 district hospitals across the state with cancer treatment facilities.

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